08 Oct 2024 | 02:35 PM UTC
Kenya: Elevated monkeypox (mpox) activity reported in multiple areas in October
Elevated monkeypox (mpox) activity reported in multiple areas in Kenya in October. Maintain basic health precautions.
Kenyan health officials have reported elevated monkeypox (mpox) activity, with a total of 12 confirmed cases reported between July 31-Oct. 4. Seven confirmed cases have fully recovered, while five are currently receiving treatment. Clade Ib, a more severe and transmissible virus variant, has been confirmed in the reported cases. Affected counties include Nakuru and Kajiado (two cases each), and Taita Taveta, Busia, Nairobi, Mombasa, Makueni, Bungoma, Kericho, and Kilifi (one case each). To date, 60 of the 68 contacts have completed the 21-day follow-up. In response to the outbreak, authorities have developed a national mpox preparedness and response plan, identifying 14 high-risk counties along the Northern Corridor, a key transport route from the Kenya-Uganda border to Mombasa. Health officials continue to conduct point-of-entry screening, testing, contact tracing, and surveillance. As disease surveillance and contact tracing continue, officials will likely identify additional cases in the coming weeks. This report represents the most up-to-date information as of Oct. 8.
Practice basic health precautions, including frequent handwashing with soap and water, covering the nose and mouth when coughing, and avoiding obviously ill individuals. Avoid overcrowded areas such as nightclubs and consider using safe sexual practices such as physical barriers (condoms) in countries reporting monkeypox transmission. Seek medical attention if symptoms develop within two weeks of being in affected areas, especially if you have had one or more new sexual partners. Vaccines are available and recommended for at risk individuals.
On Aug. 14, the WHO declared the mpox outbreak in Africa a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). The African region has seen an unprecedented increase in mpox cases since early 2024, with previously unaffected countries like Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda reporting cases. The WHO's declaration aims to prompt a coordinated international response, improve surveillance, accelerate vaccine distribution, enhance public health measures, and mobilize resources to control the outbreak.
Mpox is a viral illness caused by the monkeypox virus, a species of the genus Orthopoxvirus. Mpox is mainly transmitted to humans through direct contact with infected individuals (including intimate or sexual contact), infected animals, or through contact with contaminated materials. Human-to-human transmission primarily occurs through close personal contact with an infected individual via respiratory droplets, direct contact with bodily fluids, or indirect contact with lesion material - e.g., contaminated clothing or bedding. Symptoms typically appear 3-17 days after exposure but can develop up to 21 days after exposure. Symptoms generally include fever, headache, muscle and back aches, swollen lymph nodes, chills, exhaustion, and a distinctive rash characterized by lesions that progress through several stages before falling off.
