The Ministry of Health has assured Kenyans that there is no suspected case of Ebola virus in the country but should remain vigilant.
They have also been urged to be on the look out for any such illnesses and report to the nearest health facility without delay for immediate verification and investigation.
Director of Medical Services (DMS), Dr. Jackson Kioko said today in a statement that strategic measures had been put in place following the outbreak of Ebola in West Africa in 2015/2016 and additional ones initiated.
This comes in the wake of World Health Organization (WHO) announcing last week that it had been informed of a cluster of undiagnosed illness and deaths including haemorrhagic symptoms in Likati health zone, North of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), bordering Central African Republic.
“While the ministry is fully aware of the seriousness of Ebola virus disease and the risk of importation of the virus to Kenya, we wish to assure the public that the outbreak has occurred in a remote zone in DRC and with timely effective responses having been mounted, the disease is unlikely to spread in the region,” said Dr. Kioko.
“The Government through the Ministry of Health remain committed to ensure appropriate and effective measures are instituted in order to protect Kenyans from imported ebola virus,” he assured.
WHO declared the outbreak on May 12, following one positive test for Ebola virus in a specialized laboratory in Kinshasa while additional samples are being tested. Since April 22, nine suspected cases including three deaths have bee reported. Six cases are currently hospitalized and further investigation on the outbreak is ongoing.
