The National Guidance Agency in Akwa Ibom State said the government has traced six cases of Mpox to one household in the state.

The development has prompted the government to embark on an sensitization exercise to educate people about the prevalence and prevention of Mpox disease in the state.

This comes as a report by the Ministry of Health indicated that Akwa Ibom State has recorded eight cases of Mpox outbreak.

Punch reported on September 11, 2024 that Nigeria recorded 67 confirmed cases of Mpox out of 1,031 suspected cases in 23 states and the Federal Capital Territory, according to data from the Nigeria Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

The states with confirmed cases are Akwa Ibom (eight); Enugu (eight); Bayelsa (six); Cross River (five); Benue (four); Plateau (four); Delta (four); FCT (three); Imo (three); Lagos (three); Rivers (two); Abia (two); Osun (two); Anambra (two); Ogun (two).

Others are Kaduna (one); Gombe (one); Edo (one); Niger (one); Ebonyi (one); Nasarawa (one); Kebbi (one); and Oyo (one).

The NOA Coordinator in Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Mkpoutom Mkpoutom, in an interaction with newsmen on Monday, said the NCDC was able to trace the six cases from one household after they migrated from Onna Local Government Area of ​​the state to Uyo, the state. capital.

“In Onna LGA, about six persons were affected in a house and unfortunately those six persons had to migrate to Uyo for unknown reasons before NCDC could trace and reach here.

“I think you can see how the thing has spread and Uyo has now become the second affected,” he said.

He disclosed that the affected persons were quarantined while contact tracing was underway.

Mkpoutom added that agency staff had been deployed to the affected councils since last week after receiving instructions from the state Ministry of Health.

“I am sure you are well aware that Akwa Ibom has the highest cases of Mpox right now as we speak.

“So my people have been on the ground since last week when we had instructions from the Ministry of Health in partnership with the state health agency.

“At least 10 local government areas are badly affected and some of the worst affected local government areas are Uyo, Onna, Mkpat Enin, Ikot Ekpene. At least 10 for now. The meaning is that in the whole federation, Akwa Ibom ranks high in Mpox disease,” he said.

He noted that in Onna Local Government Area alone, about six people were affected by the disease in one house.

Mkpoutom asked the people of the state to report any such cases to the nearest medical center for treatment.

“We ask people to report such cases. People shouldn’t think it’s ordinary skin rashes (krokro), it’s not and it spreads easily. It is contracted from bushmeat.

“Initially it was attributed to being spread by monkeys, but now, after doing some research, we’ve discovered that it’s not just spread by monkeys. Even rats are the ones who spread it. And when it enters a man, it spreads in the house,” he said.