Kenya urges vigilance as mpox cases rise

Nairobi: Kenya's health authorities have called on citizens to stay vigilant after confirming three new cases of mpox, ending a month-long hiatus and bringing the total case count to 17.

Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Health Deborah Barasa said in a statement issued on Friday evening that the government has intensified public health response to the disease and urged Kenyans to defer non-essential travel to areas with active mpox transmission,Xinhua news agency reported.

She said that the three latest cases are under management while 13 patients have fully recovered and one reported death. "So far, 83 contacts have been identified, with 78 completing the required 21-day follow-up. Of these contacts, three have tested positive for mpox, and two remain under active follow-up," Barasa said.

She called on citizens to follow mpox preventive measures which include avoiding close contact with infected individuals or their items, limiting the number of sexual partners to reduce exposure, and maintaining good hygiene through frequent handwashing or hand sanitizer use.

Kenya's screening efforts at 26 entry points have included 1.7 million travelers. Vaccines are expected in the country in December, as Kenya is one of five African nations set to receive 50,000 doses of the mpox vaccine under a World Health Organization-led initiative to curb the disease's spread across Africa.

Besides Kenya, several African countries with mpox cases such as Burundi, Liberia, Uganda, and South Africa, have not recorded new cases in the past six weeks, though Africa remains in the acute phase of the outbreak with over 50,000 cases reported this year, said the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday.

Mpox, known as monkeypox, was first detected in laboratory monkeys in 1958. It is a rare viral disease typically spread through body fluids, respiratory droplets, and other contaminated materials. The infection usually causes fever, rash, and swollen lymph nodes.