Editor's Review

The fifth patient is a spouse to the fourth patient who is currently in isolation in Nakuru County.

The Ministry of Health has confirmed the fifth case of the Mpox virus in the country.

In a statement on Friday, September 6, Health Cabinet Secretary Debra Barasa said the fifth patient is a 29-year-old female who is a resident of the VOK area in Mombasa County.

“The 5 case, confirmed in the country on Wednesday 4th September 2024, involves a 29- 29-year-old female from Mombasa, a resident of the VOK area, near Tumaini Academy,” said Barasa.

According to the Health CS, the fifth patient is a spouse to the fourth patient who is currently in isolation at Utange Hospital in Nakuru County.

“The patient, a spouse to the 4th confirmed case currently admitted in Nakuru, was seen at the Coast General Hospital on 28th August 2024 and is currently in isolation at Utange Hospital's Mpox Isolation Centre. The patient has no recent travel history to a country reporting Mpox cases, her spouse had recently traveled to Rwanda, returning on 24th August 2024,” Barasa stated.

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File image of Health CS Debrah Barasa. 

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health has tested 134 samples that have been submitted to laboratories for Mpox testing.

Out of these, 110 samples have tested negative, 9 are under analysis, and 5 are confirmed positive for Mpox.

Additionally, 687,233 travelers have been screened at 26 Ports of entry across the country.

Further, CS Barasa said active surveillance for suspected cases is ongoing to control the spread of the disease. Currently, 33 contacts are under close observation.

Two out of the five confirmed cases have recovered while three are still under isolation.

“We reassure the public that our healthcare facilities are fully prepared to diagnose and treat Mpox. There is no need to panic if you believe you may have symptoms, Mpox is transmitted through direct contact with an infected person, contact with contaminated body fluids, clothing, utensils, or even contact with infected wild animals,” Barasa added.