Health ministry confirms second Mpox case at Malaba border

The Ministry of Health has confirmed a second case of Mpox at the Malaba One Stop Border Post in Busia County.

In a statement on Friday, Health Cabinet Secretary Dr. Deborah Barasa announced that the individual in question, a male truck driver with a history of travel to the epicentre of the outbreak in DRC, exhibited notable symptoms of the communicable disease.

“The patient has been isolated and is under active management in one of our health facilities in Busia County,” said the CS.

“Active surveillance for suspected cases has been enhanced in the region and across all counties to ensure the spread of the disease is controlled.”

Dr. Barasa added that, to date, 42 samples have been submitted to government laboratories for testing, out of which 40 tested negative for the disease.

“In addition, we have screened a total of 426,438 travelers at our various Ports of Entry across the country,” she said.

“Our health facilities are adequately staffed and well-equipped to diagnose and manage this disease and therefore its identification should not be a cause for alarm.”

The Ministry of Health confirmed the first case of Mpox at the Taita Taveta one-stop border point in Kenya in late July.

The infected individual, another truck driver, was en route from Uganda to Rwanda, via Kenya, when he was flagged at the border point. He was subsequently quarantined but has since recovered.

“Since declaration of the first case of Mpox disease on 31st July 2024, 28 contacts of the said case have completed a 21-day follow-up period without developing symptoms and have been discharged from active follow-up,” added Dr. Barasa.