The Benue State Government has officially stated that there are no cases of Mpox in the state.

Dr. Paul Ogwuche, the State Commissioner for Health and Human Resources, made this announcement in a statement released on Monday and shared with news reporters in Makurdi.

Last Friday, Dr. Ogwuche mentioned that the ministry was investigating a suspected case of Mpox reported in the Korinya community of Konshisha LGA.

However, in his Monday statement, the Commissioner indicated that the case had been thoroughly investigated by the Ministry’s Public Health Emergency Operations Centre, the State Epidemiology Unit, and the Disease Surveillance and Notification System.

According to him, “the Benue State Ministry of Health and Human Services wishes to state that, based on the findings available at this time, there is no evidence of an Mpox outbreak in Korinya
Community, Konshisha LGA.

The Commissioner explained that investigators identified two adults in Korinya community who had previously experienced fever followed by widespread skin rashes with blister-like lesions involving the face, chest, back and other parts of the body.

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The statement read partly, “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.”

Dr Ogwuche stated that the clinical assessment was based on several important findings, and stressed that the illness followed the typical clinical course of Chickenpox, with both patients already recovering and their skin lesions having
dried and crusted, which indicated a self- limiting viral illness.

While submitting that the investigation found no involvement of the palms of the hands, soles of the feet or the mucous membranes of the mouth, which he said were important clinical features commonly associated with Mpox, the commissioner noted that the investigation established no known contact or link with any confirmed or suspected Mpox case, which makes the likelihood of Mpox considerably lower.