The government has confirmed one more case of Mpox, bringing the total number of confirmed cases of the disease to 18.
Health Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa said the latest case was confirmed in Nakuru County.
“The cases are distributed as follows: Nakuru (four), Nairobi (two), Mombasa (two), Kajiado (two), Bungoma (two), Taita Taveta (one), Busia (one), Makueni (one), Kericho (one) Uasin-Gishu (one) and Kilifi (one),” she said.
In a statement to newsrooms, Barasa noted that four cases are currently under management, while 14 individuals have fully recovered.
“Additionally, 115 contacts have been identified, with 80 completing the required 21-day follow-up. Three of these contacts have tested positive for Mpox, and 32 remain under follow-up,” she said.
The CS said a total of 1,900,967 travellers have been screened at various Points of Entry (POE) since the onset of the outbreak, with 14,311 screened in the last 24 hours.
She added that the National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL) has received a total of 296 samples for testing: 18 have tested positive, 272 have returned negative results, and six are pending.
Barasa said the ministry continues to enhance its surveillance systems as it monitor the outbreak within the region.
“We call on all Kenyans to remain vigilant and adhere to preventive measures including avoiding close contact with infected individuals or their personal belongings, maintaining good hygiene through regular hand washing or use of hand sanitizer and limiting the number of sexual partners to reduce exposure risk,” she added.
Barasa assured that the ministry of Health is committed to safeguarding the health and well-being of all Kenyans.
“We appreciate the public's continued cooperation in following health guidelines and actively contributing to the fight against Mpox. Your efforts have played a vital role in slowing down the spread of the virus and protecting our communities,” she said.
Mpox (monkeypox) is an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus. It can cause a painful rash, enlarged lymph nodes and fever. Most people fully recover, but some get very sick.
