By Judy Maina
NAIROBI – Kenya’s Health Ministry has sent healthcare workers to Taita-Taveta County after confirming a case of mpox on Wednesday, officials said.
The infected individual had traveled through the county along the Kenyan-Tanzanian border, authorities said.
Health Ministry Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni said efforts are underway to prevent the virus from spreading. “We are conducting contact tracing and increased surveillance. Our border monitoring has been enhanced, allowing us to detect this case,” Muthoni said. “Our port health officers at all 32 entry points are well-trained to handle any outbreak.”
Mpox, previously known as monkeypox, is endemic to forested areas in East, Central, and West Africa. Symptoms include high fever, skin rash, headache, swollen lymph nodes, and general body aches. The virus can spread through direct contact with an infected person and respiratory droplets.
The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that at least 1,450 people have died from mpox across 15 African countries since the beginning of 2022. In the past seven months, 14,250 cases and 456 deaths have been recorded.
Taita-Taveta County resident Haji Mohamed Mwakio expressed concern over the situation. “I am worried because I haven’t seen any measures advising the community to practice healthy living,” Mwakio told VOA.
Taita-Taveta County has a population of more than 340,000. Muthoni said health officials are following up on the patient and those they have contacted. “The patient has been isolated. We are still determining the number of contacts, which is why our health teams are on the ground in Taita-Taveta,” Muthoni said.
Health officials are monitoring potential outbreaks in other regions. This week, Burundi, Central African Republic, and Rwanda reported mpox cases for the first time, according to the Associated Press.
Mwakio called for regional cooperation to manage the virus. “Countries need to work together on border control and educate communities on protection measures,” he said.
On Sunday, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations announced plans to distribute an mpox vaccine to exposed individuals to test its effectiveness in preventing the disease.
The writer of this story can be reached at: judy.maina@alleastafrica.com
