Patients down with monkey pox (Mpox) virus in Akwa Ibom State has risen to five.

This was revealed on Breakthrough Action-Nigeria WhatsApp group by the Disease Surveillance and Notification Officer in the State Ministry of Health, Samuel Etuk, who earlier announced that the number of patients in the state was four.

He wrote, “Good morning everyone. We have another positive case of Mpox bringing the tally to 5 confirmed cases in the State.”

Etuk reported that contact tracing for any transmission was conducted while the affected persons had been placed on isolation.

He said 10 community informants had been engaged per ward to work in catchment areas, reporting to the health facility focal person who in turn would forward same to the local government disease surveillance and notification officers for an onward report to the Ministry of Health.