By Sunday Ogli, Makurdi
Benue State Government has denied outbreak of a suspected case of Mpox in Korinya Community, Konshisha Local Government Area of the state, saying that the case was clinically assessed to be chickenpox (varicella), ruling out fears of an outbreak.
The Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr Paul Ogwuche, made this know in a statement he personally signed and made available to newsmen in Makurdi, Monday.
The commissioner had last Friday announced that the ministry was investigating a suspected case of Mpox reported in Korinya Community after some residents raised alarm over the outbreak of the disease.
Releasing the findings of the investigation, the commissioner said the case was thoroughly examined by the ministry’s Public Health Emergency Operations Centre, the State Epidemiology Unit and the Disease Surveillance and Notification System.
Giving details of the findings, he revealed that the investigators identified two adults in Korinya Community who had previously experienced fever followed by widespread skin rashes with blister-like lesions on the face, chest, back and other parts of the body.
“Both individuals had sought treatment at a private health facility in Korinya and had shown marked clinical improvement before the investigation team arrived.
“Following a detailed clinical assessment, the presentation was found to be more consistent with chickenpox (varicella) than Mpox.
“The assessment was based on several important clinical findings. The illness followed the typical course of chickenpox, with both patients already recovering and their skin lesions dried and crusted, indicating a self-limiting viral illness”, he said.
Ogwuche further noted that the investigation found no lesions on the palms, soles or oral mucous membranes, which are common clinical features of Mpox.
“The investigators established there was no known contact with any confirmed or suspected Mpox case, making the likelihood of Mpox considerably lower”, Dr Ogwuche further stated.
