Worshipers on Sunday morning fled their seats in one of the churches in Mkpat Enin Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State as they sighted a Rashes-infeected baby being brought into the church.
This development is not uncnnocted with recent reports of such rashes confirmed to be symptoms of monkey pox in the area.
A worshipper who narrated the drama in a telephone conversation said everyone in the area have become very suspicious of each other since the presence of the dreaded disease was made public to members of the public.
The source who declined his name and even the name of the church in print said that children in the area are now subjected to thorough checks to ensure they have no rashes before being allowed access to schools.
Recall that the Akwa Ibom State government had during the weekend announced the outbreak of monkey pox in Mkpat Enin Local Government Area of the state with a total of 18 suspected cases though only one has been clinically confirmed.
The announcement was made through the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Dominic Ukpong who in a press conference in Uyo on Friday told members of the public that results of five cases were still being awaited and that the 18 cases all reside with three communities of Ikot Akpaden, Ikot Enin and Ndon in Mkpat Enin just like the monkey pox incidents of 2018 in the state which occurred only in same local government area.
Ukpong said since the outbreak of the disease, the state Ministry of Health through its Public Health Department had activated its infectious control procedure to control the epidemic and has so far successfully confined it to the affected local government.
He, however, said the disease was present in the neighbouring states as such Akwa Ibom was still at risk of recording new cases.
