Kenya’s fifth Mpox case as wife of Mombasa truck driver tests positive

Kenya has confirmed its fifth case of Mpox in the wife of a truck driver who tested positive last week.

The man, a trucker who was travelling from Mombasa to Rwanda, tested positive in Nakuru and was put in isolation.

“The fifth case has been confirmed in a 29-year-old female from Mombasa, a resident of the VOK area near Tumaini Academy. The patient, a spouse to the fourth confirmed case currently admitted in Nakuru, was seen at the Coast General Hospital on August 28, 2024, and is currently in isolation at Utange Hospital's Mpox Isolation Centre,” Health Cabinet Secretary Dr Deborah Barasa said in a statement.

The fifth patient, Dr Barasa said, has no recent travel history to a country reporting Mpox cases, making her the first community transmission case in Kenya. 

Dr Barasa said the country has so far sampled 124 samples which have been submitted to various laboratories for Mpox testing. 

Out of these, 110 samples have tested negative, nine are under analysis and five are confirmed positive for Mpox. Additionally, 687,233 travellers have been screened at 26 ports of entry across the country.

“Active surveillance for suspected cases is ongoing to control spread of the disease. Currently, three contacts remain under close observation. Out of the five confirmed cases, two have fully recovered while three remain in isolation and are responding positively to treatment,” Dr Barasa said. 

This, she said, demonstrates the effectiveness of the country’s response and management of the disease.

“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.”

Despite efforts to manage Mpox cases, there are growing concerns over lapses in airport screening protocols. 

Many travellers report a lack of proper screening at entry points, raising fears that it is only a matter of time before more cases are recorded across the country.