Nairobi, Kenya — Kenya on Wednesday declared an outbreak of monkeypox (mpox) in the country following its detection in Taita Taveta, southeast of the country's capital of Nairobi.
Mary Muthoni Muriuki, principal secretary in the Ministry of Health, said in a statement issued in Nairobi that the disease was identified at the Taita Taveta one-stop border point in an individual traveling from Uganda to Rwanda via Kenya.
"Kenyans are advised to adhere to public health measures to protect themselves, their families, and the community from further spread of the diseases," Muriuki said.
She highlighted the significant risk of regional transmission due to high population movement between Kenya and other East African countries, particularly along the northern and central transport corridors.
Muriuki noted the Ministry of Health is committed to containing the outbreak and preventing further spread of the disease by working with county governments, port health facilities, and other relevant government agencies to enhance surveillance, report suspected cases, and disseminate information on preventive measures to the public.
According to Muriuki, mpox can spread through direct contact with an infected person or through infected droplets. The disease is endemic in forested regions of East, Central, and West Africa, with a multi-country outbreak ongoing globally since May 2022, peaking in August 2022 and the period from June to November 2023. ∎
