Kenya reports 2nd mpox case at border with Uganda

By Andrew Wasike

NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) - Kenya has confirmed its second case of mpox in a Ugandan truck driver who was screened at the Malaba One Stop Border Post in Busia County, health authorities said on Friday.

In a statement, Health Minister Deborah Barasa said surveillance at border points and among communities along the transportation corridor has been increased.

The ministry "reports a second confirmed case of the disease in the country. The patient, an adult male truck driver, was identified at the Malaba One Stop Border Post in Busia County, showing symptoms after traveling from the outbreak epicenter in DRC,” the statement noted.

“Let us all be vigilant and continue adhering to the preventive measures to keep our families and our nation safe,” the minister added.

The Health Ministry has deployed teams to the Malaba border and neighboring areas to trace contacts and prevent further spread.

According to the latest Africa CDC figures, as many as 17, 541 mpox cases and 517 deaths have so far been reported from 13 African countries.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo, the epicenter of the current outbreak, accounts for 96% of all cases and 97% of all deaths reported in 2024.