A second case of mpox has been confirmed by the Ministry of Health at the Malaba One Stop Border Post in Busia County.
Dr. Deborah Barasa, the Health Cabinet Secretary, said in a statement on Friday that the man in question—a male truck driver with a history of visiting the DRC, the epicenter of the outbreak—showed clear signs of the contagious disease. “The patient has been placed under active supervision in one of our medical facilities located in Busia County and has been isolated,” the CS stated.
“To ensure the disease is controlled, active surveillance for suspected cases has been enhanced throughout the region and all counties.”
According to Dr. Barasa, forty of the 42 samples that have been analyzed at government laboratories so far have come back negative for the illness. “Moreover, at our numerous Ports of Entry across the nation, we have screened a total of 426,438 travelers,” the spokesperson stated.
“The discovery of this illness should not be cause for concern as our medical facilities are fully staffed and furnished to diagnose and treat it.”
The first case of mpox was confirmed by the Ministry of Health in late July at the Taita Taveta one-stop border crossing in Kenya.
The other truck driver who was infected was detected at the border while traveling via Kenya to get from Uganda to Rwanda. After that, he was placed in quarantine, but he has now recovered.
“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 since the declaration of the first case of Mpox disease on July 31, 2024,” Dr. Barasa continued.
