C'River: Mpox case confirmed in Obudu community, Health Commissioner reveals

By Kingsley Agim

A monkeypox (Mpox) case has been confirmed in Okoshe community in Obudu local government area of Cross River state, the Ministry of Health has revealed.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Egbe Ayuk, made the revelation, Saturday, in Calabar, informing that a report from the National Reference Laboratory, Abuja, had confirmed a case of Mpox from Obudu in Cross River State.

Dr. Ayuk further informed that his Ministry was, on Monday 19th August, notified of a presumptive diagnosis for Mpox or Chickenpox by the State Epidemiologist of Ebonyi.

"A Sample was then sent to the national reference lab from there. The result returned Saturday, 24 August 2024, positive for Mpox and negative for Chickenpox.

"The case, a female is from Okoshe village in Obudu local government area. She was at Federal Medical Centre, Abakaliki to access care," he added.

The Commissioner said that investigation about her travel history is ongoing, to ascertain what took her primarily to Ebonyi, as there is no medical history or referral from Obudu.

"While the investigation of the travel history of the case is ongoing, the state government is responding actively to mitigate any outbreak in Obudu," he assured.

Ayuk said he has directed the Mpox Emergency Operation Center to be activated immediately, with the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr. Ekpo Ekpo as the Incident Manager.

He also directed that mitigation activities by the Obudu local government area response team with support from the State team to commence immediately.

Some of these mitigation measures, the Commissioner mentioned, include Line-listing of symptomatic contacts; quarantine of close/symptomatic contacts at General Hospital Sankwala - Obanliku; sample collection from symptomatic contacts, immediate movement of samples to the State hub, sensitization on preventive measures and awareness at churches, schools, communities and immediate movement of commodities to General Hospital Sankwala, among others.

As a long term measure to check any spread of the disease, Ayuk notified that plans are underway for monthly financial support to surveillance teams in the LGAs for active case search at health facilities and communities across the State, supportive supervision by the State and LGA teams, Establishment and equipment of an isolation ward in all government hospitals and positioning of case management, provision of infection prevention and control commodities in all LGAs, as well as health promotion and advocacy on personal hygiene.

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