Mpox disease has been reported in Malaba Kenya, with a long-distance truck driver testing positive for the viral disease.
This was revealed on Saturday by Teso North Sub County diseases coordinator Kelvin Tangara who also issued an alert of possible outbreak of Marburg virus disease, which has broken out in neighbouring Tanzania.
Addressing mourners during the burial of Mercy Kezia Barasa in Malaba, Mr Tangara said the truck driver was admitted at Kocholia Sub County Hospital, where he was treated and discharged.
“We need to work out measures to curb further outbreak of the disease in the porous border town. It entails keeping social distance. Unfortunately, it was not enforced here today,” Tangara stated.
According to UNICEF Kenya Humanitarian Situation Report, as of October 31, 2024, 11 out of 47 counties in Kenya had reported at least one confirmed case each of Mpox, with 14 cases having been confirmed in Nakuru, Taita Taveta, Busia, Nairobi, Mombasa, Makueni, Kajiado, Bungoma, Kilifi, Uasin Gishu, and Kericho counties with one death registered.
Mpox is a viral disease that causes a fever and skin lesions. It’s spread through close physical contact, including sexual contact, or by touching contaminated objects.
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared Mpox a global health emergency in August 2024. Kenya took steps to detect and stop the spread of Mpox,
The measures included increasing surveillance, educating the public, and identifying and monitoring contacts.
Mpox was confirmed in Kenya on July 31, 2024. As of January 17, 2025, the country had 33 confirmed cases of Mpox.
Tangara said possibilities of an outbreak of Marburg disease in the border town of Malaba are high owing to the fact that this is the northern corridor, thus the need to take care of these emerging diseases.
Marburg virus disease (MVD) symptoms include fever, headache, muscle pain, and a rash.
Symptoms can worsen over time and may include bleeding, shock, and organ failure.
Early symptoms fever, chills, headache, sore throat, weakness, and muscle aches.
Marburg virus disease is a severe disease clinically similar to Ebola disease. With no approved treatments or vaccines for MVD, early intervention for those showing symptoms is crucial for improving survival rates.
On January 10, 2025, WHO reported that Marburg viral disease had broken out in the Kagera region of the United Republic of Tanzania.
Six people were reported to have been affected, five of whom have died. The cases presented with similar symptoms of headache, high fever, back pain, diarrhoea, haematemesis (vomiting blood), malaise (body weakness) and, at a later stage of disease, external haemorrhage (bleeding from orifices).
By Absalom Namwalo