In the wake of an unprecedented increase in Mpox cases across the world, Kenya is safe from the infectious disease that is caused by the monkeypox virus.

By Sunday, August 18, 2024, the Ministry of Health maintained that only one positive case had been reported in the country since the outbreak of the deadly disease.

Principal Secretary of State Department for Public Health and Professional Standards Mary Muthoni dispelled tales of other confirmed cases saying that suspected persons could be battling other ailments.

“We don’t have another confirmed Mpox case save for the one the ministry reported about the 42-year-old male. Until the ministry communicates otherwise, we should stop circulating rumours. Suspected victims could be having chicken pox or other ailments but not Mpox. Let us wait for the technical people to work in the lab so that they can communicate to us if indeed we have any other case,” Muthoni said.

Speaking to journalists after fellowshipping at Deliverance Church in Ruiru, Kiambu County, the PS called on the media to distinguish between suspected and confirmed cases to stop inflicting fear and confusing Kenyans.

“I saw a lot of circulation in the media yesterday and I want to play it down that we don’t have another confirmed case,” she said.

She revealed that the Ministry of Health is collaborating with counties to enhance surveillance and is working towards having coherent communication systems to avoid

“If there is a confirmed case, we have a national command centre where and only that communication should come from. Any other communication at the sidelines, cannot be part of the Mpox,” she added.

Mpox screening

With the disease having been declared a public health emergency of global and continental concern, PS Muthoni revealed that the government has enhanced surveillance and sensitization at the border points to facilitate the prevention of the disease that often causes a painful rash, enlarged lymph nodes and fever.

“Screening is now mandatory at all border points to avoid an influx of people who have signs and symptoms of the disease coming into the country unnoticed. We will continue with surveillance, screening and sensitization to ensure that our country is safe and we will keep relaying information to the masses. We will have a summary on a daily basis for the media to ensure that they know and relay the facts,” she stated.

This comes as counties continue reporting suspected cases of the disease that has seen tens die across the world.

Kiambu County is the latest to report a suspected case of a 21-year-old female suspected to have been working in an avocado export company in Murang’a County.

The county health CEC Dr. Elias Maina in a statement revealed that the suspected case was reported at Thika Level Five Hospital following a referral from a private facility.

 Swab samples from the patient, he said, have since been taken and are currently under analysis at National Public Health Laboratories (NPHL) for analysis to confirm the diagnosis.

Among other countries, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda and South Africa have reported the disease that had been, until recently, domiciled in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) since the 1970s.