Cross River State epidemiologist, Inyang Ekpenyong, has confirmed two new cases of mpox in the Calabar Municipality Local Government Area.
In a statement released on Saturday, Ms. Ekpenyong announced that a case management team had been alerted for the immediate evacuation of the two patients to an isolation center. “The state/LGA Rapid Response Team (RRT) have commenced contact tracing, listing, and monitoring,” she stated.
Earlier, the state reported a case in Okoshe, Obudu Local Government Area, which was confirmed by the National Reference Laboratory in Abuja.
Ms. Ekpenyong also made an urgent appeal for resources, saying, “We also use this opportunity to appeal for financial resources to urgently carry out the needed response activities.”
Mpox, a rare disease caused by the mpox virus, primarily affects rodents like rats and mice, as well as non-human primates such as monkeys. Discovered initially in Central Africa, the virus is mainly spread through close contact with infected individuals or contaminated surfaces.