The Benue State Government has launched an investigation into a suspected case of Mpox reported in Konshisha Local Government Area.
The Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr. Paul Ogwuche, made this known on Saturday while reacting to reports of a suspected infection at the Tyokula Achihi residence in Korinya, Konshisha LGA.
According to him, the Ministry of Health swiftly activated its disease surveillance mechanism in line with public health guidelines and dispatched health officials to the community for assessment.
In a statement issued to journalists in Makurdi, Ogwuche appealed to residents not to assume every case of fever and skin rash is Mpox, explaining that such symptoms are common to several illnesses.
He noted that only laboratory analysis can confirm whether a patient is infected with Mpox.
The statement partly read, “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 stated that the state’s disease surveillance network remained operational across all 23 local government areas to ensure early detection of any public health threat.
He further
