Kenyan authorities have heightened surveillance after a patient returning from Congo via Uganda tested positive for Ebola and died, while close contacts and passengers on the same flight are being traced and quarantined.
Kenya has confirmed its first Ebola infection after a Kenyan patient returned from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) via Uganda, developed symptoms, and tested positive. The patient died while receiving treatment at a hospital in Nairobi.
Kenya's Health Minister, Aden Duale, revealed that the patient arrived in Kenya on Saturday and was isolated for treatment at a Nairobi hospital after showing symptoms consistent with viral hemorrhagic fever. Tests confirmed Ebola virus infection, and the patient died on Monday.
Kenyan authorities announced a nationwide increase in surveillance and are urgently tracing those potentially exposed to the virus. So far, 28 close contacts have been identified, including family members and healthcare workers who cared for the patient. Additionally, 23 passengers from the same flight from Uganda are being monitored.
Patrick Amoth, Director of Kenya's Ministry of Health, stated that all contacts will be quarantined and monitored for 21 days and will be released only if test results remain negative. The deceased will be buried within 24 hours following strict safety protocols to prevent further spread.
Kenya is the fourth country to report cases linked to the current Ebola outbreak, which began in eastern DR Congo in mid-May. Previously, 20 cases were confirmed in Uganda and one in France.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that this outbreak is expanding rapidly and could become the deadliest yet. The causative agent is the Bundibugyo virus, for which no approved vaccine or treatment currently exists. Vaccine trials and treatment efforts are underway in Ituri Province, the outbreak's epicenter in DR Congo.
.Source:AP
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