Kenya tests woman for Ebola, as Congo, Uganda fight outbreak

Monday, June 17, 2019
By Paul Martin

By TOM ODULA
APNews.com
6/17/2019

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenyan doctors are testing a hospital patient in western Kenya who has Ebola-like symptoms, as eastern Congo is struggling to control the outbreak that has killed 1,400 and which has spread to neighboring Uganda where two deaths have been caused by the deadly hemorrhagic fever.

If the Kenyan patient is confirmed as having Ebola, it would be the East African country’s first ever case of the virus and represent a worrying spread of the disease from eastern Congo. Kenya has never experienced an Ebola outbreak and some Kenyan doctors have expressed concern about the country’s preparedness to manage the deadly virus.

The female patient in Kenya is in isolation at Kericho County Referral Hospital where staff took precautions to ensure minimal contact, county spokesman Timothy Kimei said in a statement.

The patient had visited her spouse at the Uganda-Kenya border and three other family members are also under observation, according to Kenyan media.

However, Kenya’s health minister downplayed the threat Monday.

“The rapid surveillance and response team, which has been sent to examine the patient who is in stable condition, has confirmed that she does not fit the case definition of Ebola. Allow me to repeat to Kenyans that the patient does not meet the case definition of Ebola,” said Sicily Kariuki, while touring the Nairobi international airport to see how arriving passengers are screened for symptoms of fever.

“Precautionary measures have, however, been put in place including isolation of the patient and submission of blood samples … for testing,” she said. “The result of the same are expected by 4 p.m. this evening (Kenya time).”

Uganda last week reported two deaths from Ebola that had spread from eastern Congo, where the current outbreak has caused more than 1,400 deaths since August. The two victims were part of a Congolese-Ugandan family who crossed over into Uganda, marking the first time that Ebola cases have appeared outside of Congo since the outbreak began.

The family is believed to have contracted the disease at a funeral that was attended by dozens of people.

An expert committee of the World Health Organization on Friday said Congo’s Ebola outbreak is an “extraordinary event” of deep concern but does not yet merit being declared a global emergency.

Speaking in Kampala, the Ugandan capital, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Monday that he accepted the decision.

The Rest…HERE

Leave a Reply

Join the revolution in 2018. Revolution Radio is 100% volunteer ran. Any contributions are greatly appreciated. God bless!

Follow us on Twitter