At least eight urban centres in Nakuru along the Northern Corridor, have been identified by health authorities and experts as hotspots for the spread of Mpox in the region.
The places which serve as stopovers for long distance truck drivers are Mai Mahiu, Longonot, Naivasha, Gilgil, Kikopey, Pipeline, Salgaa and Sachangwan.
The Nation has learned that most of the Mpox cases reported in the past months have been traced to the stopovers, the majority falling along the busy Nairobi -Nakuru -Eldoret highway.
The highway is part of the Northern Corridor and is the most important road to western Kenya and the artery that connects Kenya and the landlocked countries of Uganda, Southern Sudan, Rwanda and Burundi.
The road is used for transporting most of the West-bound cargo that originate from the Port of Mombasa and Nairobi.
Out of the 37 cases reported across the country, Nakuru accounts for 10, making it a hotspot for the disease.
The Nation has learned that most of the cases reported in Nakuru are linked to sex workers and truck drivers.
"Most cases reported so far are linked to the long distance truck drivers, with most cases concentrated along the Northern Corridor, where there is significant movement of people and goods in and out of the country," Mr Moses Obiero, the Nakuru County Emergency Operations Centre Manager, said.
Authorities and experts believe Nakuru has been recording rising cases of the disease because it is a transit region, with more stopover than any other county in Kenya.
"Nakuru is a transit area and the cases have been rising mainly due to interactions between the long distance truck drivers and the commercial sex workers. The drivers also interact with residents at the stopovers," revealed Mr Obiero.
"As part of our response, we are conducting surveillance activities and we have identified hotspot areas. We are actively conducting case searches, contact tracing and screening individuals for symptoms. Patients are being treated by managing their symptoms and collecting samples for testing," added Obiero.
Dr Reuben Osiemo, a public health expert also attributed the rising cases of Mpox to Nakuru City being a transit town.
"With Nakuru City serving as a transit town, the risk of new cases is expected. As a transit town with sex workers hotspots like Kikopey, Salgaa, Pipeline and others, and due to high numbers of truck drivers and visitors travelling through Nakuru, the Mpox numbers are bound to increase," said Dr Osiemo.
Other counties that have reported cases of Mpox are Mombasa (eight), Nairobi (two),Kajiado (two), Busia (four), Bungoma (two), Kilifi (two)Makueni (one),Kiambu (one),Kericho (two),Taita Taveta two)and Uasin Gishu (one).
Amid the rising cases of Mpox in the country, Nakuru health authorities are putting commercial sex workers and long distance truck drivers at the centre of their containment strategy.
"Nakuru County government and the national government have ramped up surveillance an public awareness campaigns to tackle the rising cases of Mpox in the region. We have kicked of targeted vaccination and campaigns aimed at sensitization of high risk groups, including truck drivers and sex workers," said Nakuru health executive Roslyn Mungai.
"The training and sensitization involves truck drivers, commercial sex workers, lodging owners, cleaners and other workers at the facilities. We want them to know how and where they can report any suspected Mpox cases in the county. We have also established isolation centres across the county, including in Naivasha and Gilgil, and equipped them in case the disease blows up.”
The isolation facilities with a bed capacity of 192 are at Naivasha, Gilgil and St Joseph's hospitals.
Others are at St Mary's Hospital, Mirugi Kariuki and Bondeni hospitals, Sachangwan Health Centre and Nakuru Level Five Hospital.
The county health department is also carrying out sensitization and training of healthcare workers as well as community health volunteers.
In the meantime, the public is encouraged to employ hygiene practices that include washing hands regularly and covering the mouth when sneezing or coughing.
