Kakamega: Three residents of Kakamega have tested positive for Mpox, a viral disease previously known as monkey pox. Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa stated that the County Government has confirmed the three individuals are from Chekalini ward in Lugari sub-county. The governor announced that the affected individuals and their families have been placed in isolation to prevent the disease’s spread.

According to Kenya News Agency, Governor Barasa urged residents to remain calm and report any symptoms linked to the disease, such as fever, sore throat, and rashes. He emphasized the importance of adhering to public health guidelines. “They will be in isolation for the next 21 days. The county government of Kakamega will be taking care of their well-being because they are not supposed to move anywhere, and that is why we decided we keep them indoors under home-based care,” the Governor noted.

Due to the reported cases, the county government has deployed rapid response units to identify other active cases and conduct contact tracing. “This is a contagious disease, so our teams are on the ground with some of our officers whom we have given personal protective equipment because again we have to take care,” Governor Barasa explained.

Furthermore, the county government has established a multi-agency team to maintain contact with sub-county teams to identify and act on any cases. This team sends updates to the Kakamega County Health Emergency Operation Centre and the Incident Management Command Centre at the county headquarters. “I want to assure the public that we have upscaled our surveillance and contact tracing across the county. We have also expanded isolation capacity at the Kakamega County General Hospital, the Lumakanda sub-county hospital in Lugari, and the Chekalini Isolation Center,” the governor added.

Governor Barasa also urged Community Health Promoters (CHPs) and religious leaders to educate the public on Mpox management and control, advising residents to avoid contact with infected individuals.