Cases of mpox in Kenya reach 7 as health ministry reports 2 new cases
Date
9/25/2024 5:41:36 AM
(MENAFN) Kenya's Ministry of health has reported the confirmation of two additional cases of mpox, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to seven. This announcement was made on Tuesday as health officials work to strengthen surveillance efforts in order to prevent widespread transmission of the virus. The newly identified cases were located in Makueni County in southeastern Kenya and Kajiado County, which shares a border with Tanzania.
Deborah Barasa, the Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Health, provided details on the situation, noting that there have been no fatalities associated with the confirmed cases so far. In response to the initial five cases, health officials traced, listed, and monitored 61 contacts, among which only one individual tested positive for mpox. The ministry is taking proactive measures, having screened over one million travelers at 25 entry points across the country since the onset of the outbreak.
The Kenyan health authorities have conducted tests on 190 samples for mpox from 28 counties, with seven of those returning positive results, according to Barasa. The Ministry of Health is actively collaborating with local governments and international partners to contain the spread of the virus and manage the public health response effectively.
On August 14, the World Health Organization declared mpox a public health emergency, urging a coordinated global response to the outbreak. This declaration followed a warning from the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding the serious public health crisis posed by the mpox outbreak across the continent, underscoring the urgency of addressing the situation in Kenya and beyond.
MENAFN25092024000045015839ID1108713095
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.