Kenya's Mpox tally rises to 10 after new case is reported in Kericho County

Kenya has recorded one new case of Mpox in the last 24 hours, raising the total number of confirmed cases to 10.

In a statement on Thursday, Health Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa revealed that the latest case involves a 35-year-old female resident of Kericho County.

In a breakdown of the confirmed cases across various counties, Nairobi has recorded one case, Nakuru (2), Taita Taveta (1), Busia (1), Mombasa (1), Makueni (1), Kajiado (1), Bungoma (1), and Kericho (1).

Notably, no deaths have been reported among the confirmed cases.

Barasa emphasised that the surveillance and contact tracing efforts, remain robust. She reported that the Ministry has traced 68 contacts related to the cases, with 61 individuals having completed the recommended 21-day monitoring period.

The remaining seven contacts are still being monitored by public health teams and Community Health Promoters (CHPs) in their respective counties.

“Only one contact tested positive for Mpox during the monitoring phase,” she said.

In addition to contact tracing, the Ministry said it has continued to screen travellers at all Points of Entry (POEs). In the last 24 hours alone, 117,377 travellers have screened, bringing the total number of travellers screened at 26 POEs to 1,146,353.

Barasa further noted that the National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL) has processed 230 samples to date, confirming 10 positive cases, while 216 samples tested negative, and four are still undergoing testing.

To help mitigate the spread of Mpox, the Ministry has continued to urge citizens to avoid close physical contact with infected individuals, refrain from touching items used by them, limit the number of sexual partners, wash hands regularly, and avoid contact with wild animals or consuming bushmeat.

Barasa expressed gratitude to all Kenyans for their cooperation in implementing measures to combat the outbreak, noting that vigilance remains key in protecting communities from the spread of Mpox.

She encouraged the public to stay informed and adhere to recommended guidelines to collectively control the outbreak.

For further inquiries or to report suspected Mpox cases, the public has been directed to contact the Ministry through the emergency hotline numbers: 719, 0729471414, or 0732353535.

The Ministry said additional updates will be shared as more information becomes available.