Newz[Capital FM] Kenya has confirmed its first case of Ebola virus disease in Nairobi, ending months of heightened surveillance and preparedness following the spread of the deadly Bundibugyo strain in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighbouring Uganda. NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 6 — Kenya has launched an urgent contact-tracing operation after confirming its first imported case of Ebola, with health authorities pursuing 28 primary contacts and 27 passengers who travelled on the same flight as the patient. Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said the patient, a Kenyan citizen who had lived in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for about seven years, travelled from the DRC through Uganda before arriving in Nairobi.
The patient entered Uganda by road before boarding a flight to Kenya and arrived at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on Saturday, October 3, at about 1:10pm. Duale said the passenger was among 23 people on the flight and underwent routine public health screening at JKIA before proceeding through immigration. The patient later developed severe illness and was admitted for treatment in Nairobi but subsequently died.
“The Ministry of Health wishes to inform members of the public that it has confirmed the first imported case of Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease,” Duale said. The Health Ministry has identified 28 primary contacts linked to the patient and is tracing passengers who travelled on the same flight as part of measures to determine whether anyone else may have been exposed. Health authorities are also monitoring the patient’s movements and interactions before and after his arrival in Kenya as they work to identify additional contacts.
The confirmation has triggered heightened surveillance and response measures as Kenya seeks to prevent secondary transmission. The patient’s route through Uganda has also heightened the importance of cross-border surveillance, given that the same Bundibugyo strain has been circulating in the region. Kenya had activated its Ebola preparedness and response mechanisms months before the first imported case was confirmed.
The measures included surveillance at airports and land border crossings, laboratory testing, infection prevention and control, case management, contact tracing and public awareness campaigns. The government had also heightened surveillance at the Malaba border because of the movement of people between Kenya and Uganda. A national Ebola preparedness and response taskforce was established to coordinate the response, bringing together national and county governments, health agencies, security authorities, development partners and technical experts…
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenya’s Health Ministry on Tuesday confirmed the country’s first imported Ebola case from Congo. Health Minister Aden Duale said a Kenyan citizen who arrived in the country on Saturday from Congo via Uganda had been isolated and treated at Nairobi Hospital. The patient tested positive for the Ebola virus after developing symptoms associated with hemorrhagic fever.
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