The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
Kenya has recorded no new Ebola cases since confirming its first imported infection on October 6, with 108 contacts of the deceased patient in quarantine and under daily monitoring.
In an update on Sunday, October 11, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said all 122 contacts linked to the case had been listed and verified, while tracing of the remaining individuals continues. Of those, 108 (88.5 per cent) are in quarantine, and none has developed symptoms so far.
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The patient, a Kenyan who travelled from the Democratic Republic of the Congo through Uganda, died on October 5 and was given a safe and dignified burial on October 6 in line with public health protocols.
The Ministry of Health said 293 samples from 289 alerts had been tested, with only the confirmed case returning positive. Kenya has screened 667,675 travellers at 26 points of entry since the response began, including 2,345 in the 24 hours before the latest update. Surveillance is running around the clock, with contact tracing done alongside international partners where necessary.
Five designated laboratories, including two mobile labs at the Lwakhaha and Busia border points, are testing samples from any county, with confirmed results available within six to 12 hours. The country has up to 241 isolation beds in five hospitals in Nairobi, Eldoret and Mombasa, including up to 50 intensive care beds at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital.
Duale said 4,917 health workers had been trained in Ebola management, with 343 trained responders on standby, among them 102 who took part in the 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak response. He said the National Taskforce, the National Public Health Emergency Operations Centre and the National Incident Management System were active, with rapid response teams on 24-hour standby. Kenya notified the World Health Organization within 24 hours of confirming the case, in line with the International Health Regulations of 2005.
The government said there would be no restrictions on travel, trade, transport or public gatherings, and that airports, seaports and border points were operating normally with enhanced health screening.
The ministry urged the public to stay calm and vigilant, follow official guidance and avoid sharing rumours. Duale reminded Kenyans that Ebola is not airborne and spreads through direct contact with the blood or body fluids of a person who is sick with, or has died from, the disease. Anyone with symptoms or worried about exposure should seek care at the nearest health facility or call the toll-free hotline, 719.
