Two people have died in Mombasa as the county battles a growing Mpox outbreak, prompting intensified surveillance and emergency health measures. The coastal city has now recorded 98 cases out of Kenya’s 226 confirmed infections in June and July.

Most infections are concentrated in Nyali and Changamwe sub-counties, with the youngest patient being 12 years old. The county government has designated the Utange branch of Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital as the isolation centre for Mpox patients.

“What is happening right now , there is a lot of active community transmission, kuambukizana within the community. It's because the community has not accepted that it's within the community,” said Mohammed Anith, a Public Health Official.

Currently, 24 patients are admitted. A total of 159 samples have been tested, with 98 positive results, 60 negative, and one pending. The county has deployed trained staff across Mombasa to handle the outbreak.

“Kwa hivyo tunahamasisha jamii: ukipata rashes au upele ambao hauelewi, enda katika kituo kilichoko karibu uhakikishe umeonekana na daktari,” urged County Health Emergency Response Officer Fatma Ali.

Vincent Omoth, Technical Advisor with USAID Stawisha Program, called for increased public caution. “I would like to see the public taking precautions and also talking about Mpox enough, because people feel Mpox is not very risky."

Mpox is a viral infection that spreads mainly through close contact, causing flu-like symptoms and skin lesions. It was first reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo and has since spread to Kenya and other countries like  Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, and beyond.

The World Health Organization says symptoms include fever, headaches, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, and a rash lasting two to four weeks. The rash may appear on the face, palms, soles, genitals, or inside the mouth.

Though most recover with care, severe cases can lead to complications or death.

The virus mutates over time. Clade I, linked to animal contact in Congo, spreads through the body by replicating in cells and affecting lymph nodes and organs such as the lungs and liver.