Kenya has confirmed its sixth Mpox case in Makindu, Makueni County. The patient, a 38-year-old driver who traveled from Uganda to Kenya, tested positive for the viral disease at Makindu Sub-County Hospital and is currently recovering in home-based isolation.
"In response, the county public health emergency operation center, along with county and sub-county incident management and rapid response teams, has been activated to coordinate case management and contact tracing," said Makueni County Health CEC Dr. Paul Musila in a statement. He added that the county government has mobilized essential supplies to aid in the response, and a national health team has joined local efforts to review the case and provide additional support.
This news comes just over two weeks after Kenya confirmed its fifth Mpox case, involving a 29-year-old woman from Mombasa. She contracted the virus from her spouse, the fourth confirmed case, and was later isolated at Utange Hospital's Mpox Isolation Centre after testing positive at Coast General Hospital on August 28, 2024.
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Mpox, also known as monkeypox, is a viral disease spread through direct contact with an infected person. Common symptoms include body rash, fever, swollen lymph nodes, headache, fatigue, muscle aches, and back pain.