The health authorities in Kenya have urged citizens to stay vigilant after the country reported three new cases of mpox, report Xinhua News Agency. This brings the total number of cases to 17 and it also ended a month-long hiatus. Deborah Barasa, Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Health, in a statement, said that the government has intensified public health response to the disease and urged Kenyans to defer non-essential travel to areas with active mpox transmission.
She said the three latest cases are under management while 13 patients have fully recovered and one reported death. She added, “So far, 83 contacts have been identified, with 78 completing the required 21-day follow-up. Of these contacts, three have tested positive for mpox, and two remain under active follow-up.
” Barasa has also urged citizens to follow mpox preventive measures which include avoiding close contact with infected individuals or their items, limiting the number of sexual partners to reduce exposure and maintaining good hygiene through frequent handwashing or hand sanitiser use. The World Health Organisation has led an initiative to prevent mpox spread across Africa. Under this, Kenya is one of five African nations set to receive 50,000 doses of the mpox vaccine which are expected in the country in December.
Mpox is a viral disease that’s caused by the monkeypox virus. It is a zoonotic disease and was first discovered in monkeys. Mpox usually causes painful rash, enlarged lymph nodes and fe.
