NAIROBI — Kenya has detected its first case of mpox, the health ministry announced Wednesday, as the East African Community (EAC) urged caution in response to a regional outbreak.
The case was identified in a passenger at a southern border crossing, the ministry said in a statement. The individual was traveling from Uganda to Rwanda through Kenya.
The announcement follows reports from Burundi on July 25 of three confirmed mpox cases and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on July 20 reporting over 11,000 suspected cases and approximately 450 deaths.
On Monday, the EAC, an eight-member regional bloc, issued a warning, advising member countries to educate their citizens on protective measures against the virus.
The bloc also announced plans to convene a meeting of health experts to discuss the outbreak, though a date has not been set.
Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, was first identified in humans in 1970 in the DRC. The virus was primarily confined to West and Central Africa, with most cases resulting from contact with infected animals, such as through the consumption of bushmeat.
In May 2022, mpox infections surged globally, predominantly affecting gay and bisexual men. This increase was attributed to a new subtype, Clade II, which supplanted the previously dominant Clade I.
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared a public health emergency of international concern in July 2022 in response to the surge, a status which was lifted in May 2023.
However, a mutated variant of Clade I, named Clade Ib, has been spreading in the DRC since last September, proving to be more lethal.
The WHO continues to recommend vigilance against the virus, emphasizing the importance of awareness and prevention measures to curb its spread.
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