The Benue State Ministry of Health and Human Services has begun investigating reports of suspected Mpox cases in Korinya, Konshisha Local Government Area, following concerns raised by residents over a mysterious skin disease affecting several people.
Residents of Tyokula Achihi Residence along Km 2 Vandeikya Road issued a public appeal on July 25, warning that several young men and women had developed fever, severe rashes and blister-like lesions on their faces, chests, backs and other parts of their bodies.
In a statement signed by Shadrach Mtsor on behalf of the community, the residents said many of the affected individuals lived within the same compound, raising fears that the illness could spread rapidly if urgent action was not taken.
“We are making a desperate public appeal for immediate medical intervention over a suspected outbreak of Mpox in our community. Many of the affected persons are staff and residents within the same compound and have no access to proper diagnosis, isolation or treatment. We fear this could spread to the wider Korinya community and beyond if not contained now,” the statement read.
The community appealed to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), the Federal Ministry of Health, the Benue State Ministry of Health and Human Services, the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (BSEMA), UNICEF, the Nigerian Red Cross and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) to urgently deploy medical teams to investigate the suspected cases.
Among the requests were laboratory testing, isolation materials, personal protective equipment, hygiene kits, free treatment for affected persons, public health awareness campaigns and possible temporary closure and decontamination of the affected workplace if necessary.
Responding to the reports, the Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr. Paul Ogwuche, said the ministry immediately activated its disease surveillance system after learning of the reports circulating on social media.
He said the Director of Public Health directed the State Epidemiologist to deploy the Disease Surveillance and Notification Officer for Konshisha LGA to assess the situation, investigate the suspected cases and collect clinical samples for laboratory analysis.
Dr. Ogwuche stressed that no Mpox outbreak had been confirmed in the state.
“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,” he said.
The commissioner assured residents that disease surveillance remains active across all 23 local government areas of the state in collaboration with the NCDC, the Federal Ministry of Health, the WHO and other development partners.
He urged the public to remain calm, avoid spreading unverified information and report any cases of fever accompanied by unexplained rashes or blisters to the nearest health facility for prompt medical evaluation.
Ogwuche also commended the Korinya community for reporting the suspected cases promptly, describing early reporting as essential for effective disease surveillance and emergency response.
He assured residents that the outcome of the investigation would be made public once laboratory results are available and that appropriate public health measures would be implemented immediately if Mpox or any other disease of public health concern is confirmed.
Author
