Tanzania: Border surveillance up as mpox cases reported in neighboring nations

Dodoma, Aug 5 (IANS) Tanzanian health authorities said that they had reinforced surveillance at the country's border entry points after cases of mpox (monkeypox), an infectious disease caused by the mpox virus, were reported in neighbouring countries, including Burundi, Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Englibert Kayombo, acting head of government communications in the Ministry of Health, on Sunday, said teams of health workers are deployed to the country's border points to step up surveillance against the viral disease.

"The health workers are screening people arriving in the country and those departing from the country," Kayombo told Xinhua news agency in an interview. "Until now, we don't have any Tanzanians diagnosed with mpox."

He also said since Tanzania is not an island, contingency plans have been put in place in case anyone is diagnosed with the disease.

On Monday, the East African Community (EAC), a regional bloc, called on its eight member states to educate their citizens on how to protect themselves and prevent the spread of mpox.

The alert followed reports from the World Health Organization that Burundi and the DRC, both members of the EAC, were experiencing an outbreak of the viral mpox disease.

Reports also indicated that Kenya recently confirmed its first mpox case at the Taita-Taveta border point. The virus was detected in a long-distance truck driver, travelling from Uganda to Rwanda through Kenya.

The mpox virus spreads from animals to humans and is transmitted between people through close contact, contaminated objects, and respiratory droplets.

Mpox symptoms include skin rash or lesions, fever, intense headache, muscle aches, back pain, general body weakness, and swollen lymph nodes, typically lasting two to four weeks.