Juba based twitter user tweeted on June 22nd that an unconfirmed case of monkeypox has been reported in Kapoeta, an allegation that has now turned out untrue. | File photo.

The health authorities in Eastern Equatoria State say medical experts investigating the reports of a monkeypox have found no prevalence of the viral disease in Kapoeta areas.

Last week, Governor Louis Lobong Lojore said the state government was investigating rumors of a monkeypox case in Kapoeta.

This came after a tweet on June 22nd alleged that a patient presented symptoms of monkeypox virus in the state.

Meawhile, the authorities has now labelled the rumors as disinformation.

Eastern Equatoria State’s Minister of Health Lodai Paschalino says the information gathered by his team does not indicates the presence of the disease.

“I was able to contact my team as well, this is not true. There is no such a case in Kapoeta as per now,” says Minister Lodai.

“I went as far as getting to a team that is in charge of the investigation, the information is not true as it was posted and rumored on social media,” he added.

Last week, Governor Louis Lobong told Eye Radio his office did not receive an official report about the viral disease as speculated in the social media.

“I heard rumors like that and I asked my people in the department of health and they said they said so far they have not received any official report,” said Lobong.

Lobong said an investigation team led by the Minister of Health has traveled to Kapoeta to investigate the allegations.

Meanwhile, the National Ministry of Health says the country is free from the disease although it has received an alert.

“We don’t have monkeypox yet, I said we have an alert that it is a skin disease and it is a kind of, you can classify it as water washed disease,” said Dr. John Pasquale Rumunu, Director General for Preventive Health Service at the Ministry of Health.

“So, all skin diseases need personal hygiene. Individuals should keep themselves clean and avoid contact with someone with a rash which resembles chicken pox,” he added.

Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by infection with the monkeypox virus.

It is part of the same family of viruses as smallpox, symptoms are milder than smallpox and monkeypox is rarely fatal.