No Monkey pox in Malawi

Ministry of health has said there is no monkey pox in Malawi

The Ministry has said this after Chiradzulu district hospital announced the suspected case of a patient who died while receiving treatment

However in a press release secretary for health Dr Charles Mwansambo says after receiving a report on the suspected patient the Ministry using WHO recommended integrated disease surveillance and response IDSR started investigating the case
Dr Mwansambo said they got a specialist opinion from Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital which is indicating that it is not a case of Monkey pox
“Investigations found that it is a Varicella disease which affects the skin, brain, liver and lungs and is caused by the virus that causes Chicken pox and shingles,” Dr Mwansambo
According to the ministry the patient had not travelled outside the country and neither had been in contact with any known case of monkey pox
However, through public health reference laboratory at community health sciences unit in Lilongwe the ministry will proceed to process samples from the case to guide the diagnosis
Dr Mwansambo says the ministry will continue working with World Health Organization in monitoring monkey pox global situation