Edo Confirms 3 Suspected Cases Of Mpox

The Edo State Government says it has recorded three suspected cases of Mpox.

The Director of Public Health, State Ministry of Health, Dr Stephenson Ojeifo, disclosed this on Tuesday evening,

Ojeifo said none of the cases had been confirmed as positive, urging residents of the state to be vigilant.

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He said: “We have three suspected cases of Mpox; two patients are in Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, and one is at the Edo State University Teaching Hospital, Auchi.”

According to him, while the symptoms of Mpox resembled those of other skin rashes, the ministry was maintaining a high level of caution by isolating the suspected cases for proper management.

“We make sure that any suspected case is isolated, while we send samples to the National Reference Laboratory in Abuja for testing.

“So, until the results of the tests are out, we cannot say we have any case of Mpox,” Ojeifo said.

Ojeifo also said the ministry had strengthened its surveillance across private, public, and primary healthcare centers in the state.

“The ministry is also working with local government health educators to raise public awareness about the symptoms of Mpox”.

He noted that while Edo had managed cases of Monkeypox in the past, the current situation was being taken more seriously in line with the WHO and Africa Centre for Disease Control’s alert on it.

EKO HOT BLOG reports that Mpox is a viral disease and primarily spreads through close contact with an infected person or animal, or by touching contaminated objects.

It can cause serious complications, especially in individuals with weakened immune systems, but most cases are mild and recover without treatment.

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The disease is characterized by flu-like symptoms, including fever, headache, muscle aches, and swollen lymph nodes, followed by a distinctive rash that develops into small, fluid-filled blisters and eventually forms scabs.

Infection Prevention and Control measures  for the disease include regular hand hygiene by washing hands with soap and water or using an alcohol-based sanitizer

Other measures are disinfecting surfaces and objects, managing waste properly, and practicing respiratory hygiene by covering while coughing and sneezing and using masks in crowded areas.

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