Anambra State Commissioner for Health, Dr Afam Obidike, has said there is no confirmed mpox case in the state.

Mr Obidike stated this on Tuesday in Awka that the ministry had activated Emergency Response Teams across the 21 Local Government Areas.

Mpox, formerly called monkeypox, is related to smallpox. It causes skin lesions, fever and muscular aches.

Mpox virus, which initially broke out in Central Africa, has since spread to several West African countries, including Nigeria, where 40 cases have been officially recorded.

The commissioner said the state deployed proactive measures and heightened vigilance following confirmed cases of Mpox in the country, especially neighbouring states – Ebonyi, Abia and Delta.

He said that the 16 suspected cases in Anambra whose samples were taken had returned negative.

“Since the inception of Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s administration, we introduced emergency response teams which have helped immensely in early detection of outbreaks and interventions. We also have health informants, disease surveillance and notification officers in all the 326 wards in the state, which have been equally activated. The state government is prepared and currently improving on all areas, especially in the area of surveillance. We have also notified public and private hospitals to create holding areas for isolation of suspected cases of Mpox,” he said.

Mr Obidike said that the ministry had commenced public sensitisation to raise awareness, preventive measures and symptoms of the disease.

The commissioner advised residents to imbibe personal hygiene and ensure prompt reporting of suspected cases.

He also urged healthcare personnel to take the required precaution after attending to patients.

(NAN)