Cross River confirms 2 Monkey Pox cases

Two cases of Monkey Pox virus cases have been confirmed in Cross River Stata.

The confirmation of the virus cases in the state was made by the Special Adviser to the Governor of Cross River State on Health, Ekpo Bassey.

Speaking with journalists in Calabar on Friday Baseey said the cases were identified in Calabar Municipality LGA of the state.

M-pox, a zoonotic disease, is an emerging infectious disease caused by a virus transmitted to humans from infected animals.

Commonly found in rodents, M-Pox can also be spread between humans.

Speaking on the cases and way forward for the state, Bassey said the cases were detected on Monday, 21 October 2024, by the state surveillance team.

According to the governor’s aide, the samples collected have been sent to the National Reference Hospital, Abuja.

“Currently, both cases are stable, and we are monitoring them closely. We are also working on sensitisation and infection control to prevent further spread of the disease,” he disclosed.

He added, “The two new cases involved a boy of around 18 years from the University of Calabar (UniCal) and a baby in the Ikot Ekpo area, though the parents showed no symptoms. We are investigating how the infection occurred in both cases.

“Previously, we had recorded three cases in Calabar Municipality. We have conducted contact tracing and are monitoring all individuals who had contact with the cases,” Bassey said.