Benue probes suspected Mpox case

The Benue State Commissioner of Health and Human Services, Dr Paul Ogwuche, has urged residents to remain calm over a suspected case of Monkeypox in Konshisha Local Government Area, saying the ministry is investigating the reported case.

The commissioner was responding to the alleged suspected case of Mpox reported to have been discovered at Tyokula Achihi residence, in the local government.

According to him, the ministry immediately activated its surveillance system in line with established public health protocols and visited the area.

Ogwuche, who disclosed this in a statement on Saturday, noted that the public should not jump to conclusions whenever skin rashes and fever surface.

He added that such symptoms could result from several medical conditions, stressing that laboratory confirmation is required before any diagnosis of Mpox can be made.

The statement read partly, “The Director of Public Health was directed to liaise with the state Epidemiologist, who in turn immediately deployed the Disease Surveillance and Notification Officer (DSNO) for Konshisha Local Government Area to the reported location for on-the-ground assessment, case investigation and collection of appropriate clinical samples for laboratory testing.

“At this stage, no Mpox outbreak has been confirmed in Benue State. It is important to emphasise that skin rashes and fever can result from several medical conditions, and laboratory confirmation is required before any diagnosis of Mpox can be made.”

The commissioner said the state disease surveillance system remained active across all 23 local government areas, adding that the ministry maintained close collaboration with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, the Federal Ministry of Health, the World Health Organisation and other development partners to ensure prompt detection and response to any public health event.

Ogwuche appealed to members of the public to remain calm and avoid spreading unverified information capable of creating unnecessary panic.

“We encourage anyone experiencing fever accompanied by unexplained rashes or blisters to report immediately to the nearest health facility for proper medical evaluation and to avoid close physical contact until assessed by healthcare professionals,” the statement read in part.