Two dead, 10 sick with 'Mpox' symptoms

A 10-year-old child died yesterday, in a remote village between Taita and Kwale, bringing the total number of deaths from a mysterious disease to two.

The father of the 10-year Emmanuel Mbui Beja said the boy had symptoms similar to those of Monkeypox like rashes, fever, and headache. He said that pupils in a local school have the same symptoms.

The Taita Taveta County government yesterday dispatched a team of health officials to the affected Zungulukani village, 70 kilometres away from Voi town amid panic from villagers.

The Disease Surveillance Coordinator in Voi Sub County Mr Johnston Kishagha said the patients have fever, rushes, headaches, red eyes, and vomit. He said blood samples have been taken to the lab for testing.

"We have collected samples from two children and an adult with the symptoms for lab tests," said Kishagha, who ruled out an outbreak of Monkeypox, saying he suspected that they were cases of measles.

He told the villages to avoid consuming bushmeat and untested meat to avoid infection.

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However, Mr Beja said at least 10 villagers, including his brother and sister, are suffering from the strange disease, which has not been diagnosed. The disease has also disrupted learning in a local primary school, he said.

“We have dispatched a team of health officials to the ground and once we get a comprehensive report, we will share it with the press,” “said Harrison Kamwana, the senior communications officer.

Mr Beja said in the last week, members of his family had been suffering from the rare disease and he assumed that it was just a normal illness. The first case of death was from a different family.

Beja said the situation worsened after his brother and sister also fell sick from the disease and were rushed to Mackinnon Road Township Health Centre.

“We do not know exactly what is ailing the village because we have been assuming that it is an outbreak of measles, said Beja, adding that the local hospital has no drugs and equipment to detect diseases.

“The victims have been suffering from severe headaches, rashes, high temperature, and pale eyes,” he said, adding that his sister and brother were in critical condition.

“And due to the lack of drugs, we have resorted to traditional treatment because the entire village is sick and suffering from the disease. The sick are yet to be diagnosed by the government,” noted Beja.

Last week, the Taita Taveta County government announced that it had partnered with the national government to stop the spread of Monkeypox.

“We have partnered with the national government and other relevant stakeholders to provide the necessary information about the disease and take preventive measures.

We have also enhanced surveillance as crucial steps to managing the rapid spread of the disease,” said the health officer in Taveta Sub County.

The county is still grappling with a persistent shortage of drugs in public hospitals, with children, elderly, and other vulnerable groups bearing the brunt.

The first case of Monkeypox was detected at the Taveta border post early this month after a foreigner was put in quarantine at the Taveta One Shop border stop Quarantine Centre.

At least four people have tested positive for the Monkeypox in Kenya.

Health authorities disclosed that the Ugandan national was traveling from Mombasa to Rwanda through Tanzania when the case was detected at the Taveta border point.

Health officials stated that the individual from Uganda appeared tired and had abnormal body temperatures. He was weak and feeling fever and joint pains before he tested positive for the disease.

The East African Community (EAC) Secretariat has also called on EAC Partner States to educate their citizens on how to protect themselves and prevent the spread of Mpox (Monkeypox).

This follows reports from the World Health Organization (WHO) that Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are experiencing an outbreak of the viral Mpox disease.

The virus spreads from animals to humans and between people through close contact, contaminated objects, and respiratory droplets.

Symptoms include a skin rash or lesions, fever, intense headache, muscle aches, back pain, general body weakness, and swollen lymph nodes, typically lasting two to four weeks. While most cases are moderate, severe cases of ox (monkeypox) is an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus. It can cause a painful rash, enlarged lymph nodes, and fever. Most people fully recover, but some get very sick.