Nairobi, Dec 1 (IANS): Kenya's Ministry of Health has urged citizens to strictly adhere to mpox preventive measures as the number of cases continues to rise, with children being particularly vulnerable.

Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Health Mary Muthoni said in a statement issued in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya on Saturday evening that five new mpox cases have been confirmed in northwest, coastal, and central Kenya in the past week, bringing the total to 23, Xinhua reported.

Muthoni warned that children are particularly vulnerable because their immune system is not fully developed to fight infections. "The ministry therefore underscores the importance of self-isolation among suspected or confirmed cases to avoid passing the infection to children in our households as they are at high risk of severe disease if they get infected."

Muthoni stressed the need for heightened vigilance, particularly among those suspected and confirmed mpox cases to protect vulnerable groups, especially children under five. She also noted that health workers have ramped up surveillance efforts to monitor the outbreak in the region.

"We call on all Kenyans to remain vigilant, seek prompt medical attention, and report any suspected symptoms to the nearest facility for prompt medical attention," Muthoni said.

The new cases had been confirmed in Nakuru, some 160 km northwest of the capital, and the coastal city of Mombasa and Kiambu, on the outskirts of Nairobi, she said.

"To date, 156 contacts have been identified with 117 completing the required 21-day follow up. Five of these contacts have tested positive for mpox and 34 remain under follow-up," Muthoni said.

Muthoni urged for increased awareness and adherence to public health guidelines to curb the spread of mpox and protect at-risk groups, including children. Since the outbreak began, the Ministry has screened 2.02 million travellers at 26 points of entry, with 15,257 people screened in the past 24 hours.

Vaccines are expected to arrive in Kenya in December, as the country is among five African nations slated to receive 50,000 doses of the mpox vaccine, as part of the World Health Organization-led global efforts to prevent the spread of the disease, which has been rising across Africa.

Mpox, known as monkeypox, was first detected in laboratory monkeys in 1958. It is a rare viral disease typically spread through body fluids, respiratory droplets, and other contaminated materials. The infection usually causes fever, rash, and swollen lymph nodes.