Kenya’s AmPox cases rise to seven

Nairobi: Kenya’s health ministry has confirmed two more AmPox cases, raising the total number to seven, as the country steps up surveillance to prevent the rampant spread of the virus. Cabinet Secretary in the health ministry Deborah Barasa said on Tuesday that the two new cases were reported in Kenya’s Makueni county and Kajiado county, bordering Tanzania.

“No deaths have been reported among the confirmed cases. 61 contacts of the first five cases have been traced, catalogued and monitored. Only one of the contacts tested positive for AmPox,” Barasa said.

She said the ministry has screened more than one million travellers at 25 entry points since the outbreak began, reports Xinhua news agency. According to Barasa, Kenya has tested 190 samples for AmPox from 28 counties, of which seven have been found positive.

He said the health ministry was collaborating with local governments and other countries to contain the spread of the ampox infection. The World Health Organisation declared ampox a public health emergency on August 14 and called for a coordinated global response. The declaration came after the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said the ampox outbreak on the continent had created a serious public health crisis.

(IANS)