Kenya Increases Watch On Monkeypox

Although there has been no verified case in the country, Health Principal Secretary Susan Mochache said on Tuesday in Kisii County that the government has put in place necessary measures to combat the virus should it break out.

“We have very good and robust surveillance systems in place. We have heightened our surveillance at all points of entry to make sure we can detect any case of monkeypox,”  said Mochache

As combat the disease, the government said it will adopt identical methods to those employed to combat Covid-19

“The Government will activate the COVID-19 surveillance teams in case of an outbreak,” she added.

So far, no infection has been verified in Kenya or the East African region. With 110 confirmed cases and 205 suspected cases, the monkeypox outbreak has now spread to 17 nations.

The spread of monkeypox

Monkeypox is spread through respiratory droplets and intimate touch. Sexual transmission (through sperm and/or vaginal fluid) has also been suggested as a possible mechanism. "Studies are needed to better understand this danger," the World Health Organization (WHO) advises.

The virus has spread to youngish men in the current outbreak, but it may affect anyone.

Monkeypox is a mild, self-limiting disease that usually lasts two to three weeks. It can, however, be fatal in some situations. According to the WHO, the fatality rate has been between 3% and 6% "in recent times." The monkeypox virus in West Africa is thought to be milder than the one in Central Africa.

People who are immunocompromised, such as those undergoing chemotherapy, and children are more susceptible to monkeypox. In the current worldwide outbreak of monkeypox, there have been no deaths, although one child in the United Kingdom is in intensive care.