Two more mpox cases were confirmed in Kenya on Friday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 33.
Mary Muriuki, Principal Secretary at the Ministry of Health, said in a press release that the cases were confirmed in Kericho and Taita-Taveta counties and that the outbreak has spread to 12 counties.
The statement said 225 contacts were identified and 216 underwent the proposed 21-day monitoring. Nine of them were confirmed positive for smallpox.
The official said the government has strengthened surveillance through active case finding, contact list, tracing, investigation and symptomatic confirmation of confirmed cases. Efforts have also been initiated to educate the public on mpox prevention and control measures.
Mpox is an infectious viral disease that can occur in humans and other animals. It is characterised by high fever and skin lesions known as vesicles. In 2022, outbreaks have been triggered in more than 70 countries around the world.
Last August, the World Health Organisation declared the disease a public health emergency of international concern.
In Africa, the worst affected country remains the Democratic Republic of Congo, where more than 49,000 suspected cases and 1,100 deaths have been confirmed on the continent since January 2024, according to the African Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.
Since the beginning of 2022, Africa has recorded 1,267 confirmed cases of mpox infection and 226 deaths (17.8 per cent mortality) in 13 countries on the continent. Nigeria (756; 7 deaths), the Democratic Republic of Congo (319 cases, 204 deaths) and Ghana (116 cases, 4 deaths) have the most cases. In the past three months, no mpox cases have been reported in Benin, Congo, Morocco, Sierra Leone and South Africa.
