Murang'a Level Five Hospital in Murang'a townHealth officials in Murang’a are on high alert following the confirmation of cases of Mpox in the county.
A report drafted by the county emergency operations centre
manager Chris Mwangi indicated that a new patient is currently being treated in
an isolation ward in a local public health facility.
Among the confirmed patients is a health care worker who is currently under home-based care, with three being from Kiharu subcounty, one from Kahuro and one from Kigumo.
About 18 samples have been sent to National Public Health Laboratories (NPHL) 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 the 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 (IPC) measures through a letter from 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 shipped to the National Public Health Laboratory, and positive results were 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.
The community has been urged to observe infection prevention and control measures such as good hand hygiene and avoid 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.
