Mpox: Ministry steps up diagnosis efforts

Kenya has intensified surveillance at border points and diagnostic capacity to contain spread of mpox disease.

This is after Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) declared the disease a public health emergency.

In an interview with The Standard, Director General of Health Dr Patrick Amoth said the declaration, first of its kind by Africa CDC, puts Kenya and the continent at the forefront of finding quick interventions. The Mpox variant of Clade 1 MPXV, currently reported in Kenya, is spreading across the continent according to the DG and is more aggressive, causes more severe disease and more transmissible.

The declaration by Africa CDC Director General Jean Kaseya followed growing outbreaks in Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, South Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Côte d’Ivoire and South Africa. Data by Africa CDC shows 38,465 cases of mpox have been reported in the continent, among them 1,456 fatalities, since 2022.

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“This (declaration) simply tells us that we are dealing with a big problem with widespread geographical expansion with a potential to disrupt health systems, with potential to disrupt our lives in terms of trade and travel and requires mobilisation of resources not only from Africa but globally to address this,” Dr Amoth said.

Kenya confirmed her first Mpox case two weeks ago in Taita Taveta, at the border of Tanzania. The individual is reported to have travelled from Uganda to Rwanda through Kenya.

Amoth said so far, at least 18 people who were in contact with the patient have been traced, screened with tests turning out to be negative. “The patient first diagnosed with Mpox recovered, while all contacts have been found to be negative,” he said.

To prevent the disease from spilling to its neighbours, the Ministry of Health together with multi-agencies have identified hotspot counties which include Busia Kisumu, Kericho, Nakuru, Kiambu, Nairobi, Machakos, Makueni, Taita Taveta, Kilifi and Mombasa, counties located along the northern corridor.

“Surveillance in all hotspot counties including Malaba, Turkana, Trans Nzoia and West Pokot have also been intensified, as they border neighbouring Uganda where the disease has been reported,” said Amoth.

Additionally, the ministry has set up adequate mpox diagnostic centres at the National Virology Reference Laboratory in Nairobi, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) Walter Reed in Kisumu, CDC laboratory in Kisumu and KEMRI laboratories.

At the centers, Polymerise Chain Reaction (PCR) will be used for tests. “We have most of the diagnostic capacity wide spread from investments we put in during Covid-19 and if there is need, with a surge in cases we shall quickly deploy the platform to many other counties,” said Amoth.

Mpox previously known as monkeypox is an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus, transmitted to humans through contacts.

The disease presents with a rash on any part of the body that turns painful, flue-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions, enlarged lymph nodes and fever.

Most people who get infected fully recover, but some get very sick, leading to death. Africa CDC announced that Africa requires 10 million vaccines, but only 100,000 are available in the market according to Amoth.