Silent spread: Mpox infections rise as awareness slumps

When Austine Owuori first felt feverish and shivery on June 20, 2025, he dismissed it as a minor illness.

 What followed, however, was a gruelling 30-day battle with Mpox that left the Mombasa-based healthcare worker physically worn out, emotionally isolated and terrified of infecting his loved ones.

 “I went to the hospital, where I was told it was an infection and given drugs,” he recalls. “But after three days, I had a rash on my arm that quickly spread to my face.”

Still thinking it might be a drug reaction, he tried to manage the symptoms. However, as a trained health worker, Owuori began to suspect something more serious. He sought testing at a private facility, and the result confirmed his suspicion, M-Pox.

 That is when he rushed to Coast General Hospital’s Utange Isolation Unit, but it was full to capacity. With no space available, Owuori returned to the private facility. There, he was treated for 10 days with antibiotics, pain medication and regular sponging to manage the painful lesions.

 Mpox, formerly known as Monkeypox, is a viral illness spread through close contact with infected skin, fluids, or contaminated surfaces.

 It typically causes fever, painful lesions that turn into scabs, joint and muscle pain, fatigue and sleep disruption.

 “The rash behaves like fresh wounds. Then it crusts like sand. I couldn’t sleep for days. It’s worse than Covid-19,” says Owuori.

 Once stable, he was discharged to continue recovering at home. He now lives alone in a small room, separated from his wife and children. Meals are left outside the room on a tray. He washes his own clothes, cleans dishes and disinfects surfaces daily to keep his family safe.

 During his hospital stay, even cleaners entered in full Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). “That’s when it hit me — how contagious it  is.”

 Owuori’s case is not isolated. Public health officials are raising the alarm over rising Mpox infections in coastal Kenya, with increasing community transmission.With isolation wards overstretched and public awareness still low, Odaba warns that Kenya risks a silent Mpox surge if urgent action isn’t taken.

 “Mpox is not just a rash. It’s a painful, isolating illness that wrecks your body and your mental state. People must take it seriously, it’s already in our communities.”

 Data from the Ministry of Health shows Mombasa is leading in the number of cases with at least 98 cases, followed by Busia, Nakuru, Makueni, Kilifi and Nairobi. The peak of infection was in May, June and July. Last week, Africa CDC highlighted the infections as a point of concern, community transmission.

 Sadly, even with community transmission, Owuori regrets that majority of individuals are self-medicating, a contributing factor to community spread.

 “Many chemists lack proper creams and knowledge while most cases are being picked up late.” At the moment, at least 24 people are in isolation wards in Mombasa.

 Dr Mohammed Hanif, Mombasa County Director of Clinical Services, says public sensitisation on Mpox is ongoing to help break the chain of transmission. “We are encouraging residents to maintain high levels of personal hygiene, wash hands regularly and report any unusual rashes, especially blisters, for prompt testing and treatment,” says Dr Hanif.

“There is no specific cure for Mpox. We manage symptoms using antibiotics and painkillers. Patients must avoid spreading it to others — that means avoiding contact with surfaces and maintaining strict hygiene,” says the official.

Current infections, he says, tend to be more severe in the elderly, children, pregnant women and individuals with weakened immunity such as those living with diabetes or HIV.

 Prof Julius Oyugi, Director of Research at the University of Nairobi’s Institute of Tropical and Infectious Diseases, says Mpox is a viral infection caused by the Mpox virus — first identified as endemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in the 1970s.

 He notes that most cases recently detected in Mombasa involve adults in their late 40s, with 12 cases traced to truck drivers and eight to sex workers.

 “One of the mode of transmission of M-Pox is through sexual intercourse. Although the general mode of transmission of M-Pox is through body contact, sexual intercourse is one of the biggest causes. Possibly because of sex trade in Mombasa, it could be contributing to the spread, because if someone is infected and rashes present, they can infect others. This could be one of the things fuelling spread of MPox in Mombasa,” says Prof Oyugi.

 However, with community transmission now evident, Prof Oyugi says the virus is spreading widely from one person to another.

 “We need effective contact tracing to determine where infected individuals are coming from,” he explains. “The presence of visible rashes makes it easier to identify suspected cases, isolate them and begin treatment to support recovery.”

 He adds that Mpox symptoms can initially resemble those of Covid-19 — including fever, fatigue and respiratory issues — but in people with weakened immunity, such as those with HIV/AIDS, the illness can last longer and become more severe. Prof Oyugi explains that symptoms of M-Pox typically appear about 21 days after exposure to the virus.

 Recovery from Mpox varies from person to person, with individuals who have underlying conditions—such as HIV or diabetes—taking longer to recover due to compromised immunity, notes the researcher.

 Dr Patrick Oyaro, Chief of Party for the Stawisha Pwani Project — which supports HIV, TB, and maternal-child health services in the Coast region — attributes the spread of Mpox in Mombasa to port-linked activities.

 “Initially, Mpox cases were largely confined to truck drivers and commercial sex workers. But now, we’re seeing infections within the general population, which suggests that the virus is spreading through community transmission,” says Dr Oyaro.