A first case of mpox has been reported in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, marking the third confirmed case in this East African nation, according to an announcement from the Ministry of Health on Friday.
The disease, which is currently under a global alert issued by the World Health Organization (WHO), was identified in “a 30-year-old woman who traveled to Uganda a week ago,” as stated by the ministry. This incident marks the first occurrence of mpox in Nairobi, the country’s most populous city, with a population of 4.4 million based on the latest census conducted in 2019.
The two previous cases, both of which were successfully treated, were recorded in Taita Taveta County (southwest) and Busia County (east). To date, only three positive cases have been detected from 89 suspected samples tested or undergoing analysis—79 returned negative, and 7 are pending results, the ministry indicated.
The resurgence of mpox in Africa, affecting the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and 12 other countries on the continent, including Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, along with the emergence of a new variant (1b), prompted the WHO to issue its highest level of global alert on August 14.
Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director General of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), reported on Wednesday that there were “22,863 suspected cases and 622 deaths” related to various strains of mpox across the continent as of August 27.
According to the WHO, 5,281 mpox cases had been confirmed on the continent as of August 25 for the year 2024. Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a viral disease that spreads from animals to humans but can also be transmitted between individuals, causing symptoms such as fever, muscle aches, and skin lesions.
