NAIROBI – Kenya’s Ministry of Health on Friday ramped up nationwide surveillance to detect suspected cases of mpox after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the viral infection a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
Health Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa said public health emergency operation centers have been mobilized, and incident management teams established across the country. The measures aim to prevent any new cases following the emergence of the disease in neighboring countries.
“No new confirmed cases of mpox have been reported in Kenya since the first case was detected,” Barasa said in a statement issued in Nairobi.
The WHO’s declaration follows an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which has spread to several neighboring African nations. The UN agency has called for a coordinated global response to contain the spread of the virus.
Kenya reported its first mpox case involving a driver who traveled from Uganda to the coastal city of Mombasa before continuing to Rwanda via Tanzania. Authorities have screened 18 individuals who were in contact with the driver, as well as six suspected cases. All tested negative for the disease, Barasa said.
“The patient has fully recovered,” Barasa added, noting that the ministry will continue to provide regular updates and is training healthcare workers on identifying the disease and implementing prevention measures.
Mpox, also known as monkeypox, is a viral infection that spreads through close contact, causing symptoms such as fever, swollen lymph nodes, sore throat, muscle aches, and a skin rash.
The WHO has reported multiple outbreaks of different mpox clades worldwide, with varying transmission patterns and risks.
Email us at: info@alleastafrica.com
