On July 31, 2024, Kenya confirmed the first case of Mpox, an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus.
Although the Ministry of Health said there is no new case, it is important to stay informed on who is at risk of getting infected.
So, who is at risk?
The Ministry of Health said people in close interaction with Mpox patients including household members and sexual partners can easily contract the disease.
People taking care of Mpox patients without the correct use of personal protective equipment and those who hunt, kill, handle, butcher and prepare animals such as monkeys, rats and squirrels are also at risk.
Others are people who work in labs without the correct use of personal protective equipment, children, pregnant women and those who may be weak due to other health conditions.
MoH further stated that people who have many sexual partners and who frequent anonymous sexual partners are also at risk of getting infected with Mpox.
The signs and symptoms of Mpox include skin rash, fever, sore throat, headache, body ache, back pain, low energy and swollen lymph nodes.
MoH confirmed the first case on Wednesday at the Taita-Taveta one-stop border point (OSBP).
The Ministry said the patient was travelling from Uganda to Rwanda through Kenya.
The Ministry advised Kenyans to wash their hands often with soap and water or hand sanitiser and if one has symptoms, to seek health advice, avoid close contact with other persons and visit the nearest health facility for management.
Since May 2022, a multi-country outbreak has been ongoing globally with peak cases in August 2022 and June-November 2023.
MoH said a single case of Mpox is considered an outbreak.
The high population movement between Kenya and other East African countries especially through the Northern and Central transport corridors is a significant risk for regional transmission since several countries in the region are currently reporting cases.
M-pox usually resolves without complications within 2-4 weeks.
