Abuja pox scare only chicken, not monkey pox

Public health officials in Abuja have ruled out suspected monkey pox infection at one of its district hospitals. Director of public health in the FCT Humphrey Okoroukwu said the two suspected cases that emerged at Gwarimpa district hospital is chicken pox, not monkey pox. Both disease share some symptoms, but the appearance of vesicular rash […]

Public health officials in Abuja have ruled out suspected monkey pox infection at one of its district hospitals.

Director of public health in the FCT Humphrey Okoroukwu said the two suspected cases that emerged at Gwarimpa district hospital is chicken pox, not monkey pox.

Both disease share some symptoms, but the appearance of vesicular rash in monkey pox has caused much anxiety.

“I think I like the suspicion because it’s better to suspect than to ignore it and it later turns out to be positive," said Okoroukwu.

Clinical signs so far seen at the hospital indicate chicken pox, though officials still await laboratory confirmation on samples sent out.

“The truth now is that there is no confirmed case of monkey pox disease in FCT," he said.

Since September when it was first reported in Bayelsa, more than cases suspected to be monkey pox have been reported across seven states.