Kenya reports first mpox case

Nairobi: Kenya has detected its first case of mpox, the health ministry said Wednesday, as the regional East African bloc urged caution in the face of...

Nairobi: Kenya has detected its first case of mpox, the health ministry said Wednesday, as the regional East African bloc urged caution in the face of an outbreak.

The case of the viral infection was detected in a passenger at a border crossing in southern Kenya, the ministry said in a statement, adding that the person was travelling from neighbouring Uganda to Rwanda through Kenya.

It followed an announcement from Burundi on July 25 of three confirmed cases, while the Democratic Democratic Republic of Congo on July 20 reported more than 11,000 suspected cases including around 450 deaths.

The outbreak triggered a warning on Monday from the eight-member East African Community (EAC), which called on countries "to educate their citizens on how to protect themselves and prevent the spread of mpox".

The bloc would "convene a meeting of health experts to deliberate on the situation", it said, without giving a date.