Murang'a Level Five Hospital in Murang'a town.Health officials in Murang’a are on a high alert following the confirmation of a new case of Mpox in the county.
A report by the county emergency operations centre manager Chris Mwangi indicates that a new patient is currently being treated in an isolation ward in a local public health facility.
Among the confirmed patients is a healthcare worker who is currently under home-based care, with three from Kiharu subcounty, one each from Kahuro and Kigumo.
About 18 samples have been sent to National Public Health Laboratories for testing, with results for one still pending.
Mwangi confirmed that no deaths have been reported in the county since the onset of the outbreak but that the county is undertaking contact tracing and line-listing that has led to identification of six people.
“Five contacts are still under follow-up and no symptoms have been reported so far,” Mwangi stated.
Local health workers have since been advised to strictly adhere to basic infection prevention and control measures through a letter by the county director of health.
The county emergency operations centre was activated for response and coordination of technical support on August 2 following the confirmation of the first case.
The county was first alerted of a suspected case on July 30 in Mathioya by the subcounty surveillance officer.
The case involved a 68-year-old woman from Gatara, Murarandia ward, in Kahuro subcounty who sought health services from a local health facility.
On July 31, the specimen was collected and sent to national Public Health Laboratory and positive results sent back on August 1, jolting the health department into alertness.
Since then, the county has been sensitising health workers on Mpox and other vaccine preventable diseases, and members of the community urged to observe infection prevention and control measures such as good hands hygiene and avoiding close contact with infected individuals.
Mpox is a viral illness that spreads through close contact with infected individuals or contaminated materials.
Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes and a rash that progresses into pustules before scabbing.
