No cause for alarm in Benue: that suspected Mpox case making the rounds? It is actually chickenpox.

Here is the gist:

The Benue State Government has officially put the rumours to rest. There is NO Mpox outbreak in Korinya Community, Konshisha Local Government Area.

According to cbinews.tv, the clarification came from the Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr Paul Ogwuche, in a statement issued on Monday in Makurdi.

You will recall that last Friday, the ministry had said it was investigating a suspected case of Mpox reported in the community. Well, the findings are now in.

Dr Ogwuche said the case was thoroughly investigated by the ministry’s Public Health Emergency Operations Centre, the State Epidemiology Unit and the Disease Surveillance and Notification System.

And what did they find?

The team traced two adults in Korinya who had developed fever followed by widespread rashes with blister-like lesions on their face, chest, back and other parts of the body. Both had already sought treatment at a private health facility in the community and were already getting much better before the team even arrived.

After a detailed clinical assessment, the Commissioner said their symptoms were more consistent with chickenpox (varicella) than Mpox.

He explained that the illness followed the typical course of chickenpox, with both patients already recovering and their lesions dried and crusted - a clear sign of a self-limiting viral illness.

Even more reassuring, there were no lesions on the palms, soles or inside the mouth, which are common tell-tale signs of Mpox. There was also no known contact with any confirmed or suspected Mpox case.

In short, based on all findings available at this time, there is no evidence of an Mpox outbreak in Korinya Community.

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