The first imported case of Ebola in Kenya has been officially confirmed by the country's Ministry of Health. The case involves a Kenyan national who had recently returned from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
According to Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for Health Aden Duale, the patient had lived in the DRC for the previous seven years. The person had driven by road across the border to Uganda before boarding a commercial flight to Nairobi after becoming ill about a month ago and seeking medical attention in multiple local hospitals abroad.
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The patient was sent straight to an isolation ward at Nairobi Hospital for specialised care after undergoing a routine port health screening upon arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
"The patient was given supportive treatment but regrettably passed on last night at 11.30 pm… Arrangements for safe and dignified burial of the deceased are ongoing, and the burial is planned for later today in line with the Ebola safe and dignified public health protocols," Duale informed the press.
"So far, we have listed 28 contacts of the deceased, including family members and healthcare workers who attended to the deceased. We are also pursuing a further 23 passengers and four crew members who were on the same flight as the deceased," he added.
After thorough laboratory testing, Duale confirmed the diagnosis and assured the public that swift reaction procedures had been triggered right away. While specialised disease monitoring teams do thorough contact tracing, medical officials have placed the patient in a special isolation hospital with critical care equipment.
Travel companions and medical staff who first treated the patient are among the contacts that have been identified thus far, and they are being closely watched under stringent infection control procedures.
The national healthcare system is still on high alert, with increased surveillance at all key border crossings and international airports, the ministry stressed, emphasising that there is no cause for widespread panic.
Additionally, visitors who exhibit high fevers, extreme exhaustion, vomiting, or other hemorrhagic symptoms must adhere to stringent screening protocols at regional health facilities.
The administration reiterated that it will work closely with county governments, neighbours in the region, and the World Health Organisation (WHO) to contain the risk. It is recommended that citizens keep an eye out, practice basic cleanliness, and notify public health hotlines as soon as they suspect a case.
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