The Ministry of Health has issued an advisory cautioning Kenyans against travelling to the Western region over Ebola outbreak in neighbouring Uganda.
At the same time, MoH medics are monitoring a suspected case of Ebola Nambale sub-county in Busia County involving a patient who traveled from Eastern Uganda on September 15.
The MoH said the blood samples were taken and transferred to Nairobi on Thursday for further tests.
The patient is currently admitted at St Mary’s Hospital isolation unit for further management awaiting the laboratory tests.
“One laboratory result shows the symptoms are not caused by Ebola virus, the disease carries all symptoms of malaria” Dr Hilda Abwao, Director of Disease Surveillance at St Mary’s Hospital, Mumias, said.
According to Gichana, the 32-year-old man from Kayoro village in Nambale, Busia, started showing symptoms of blood in urine on Wednesday and proceeded to St Mary’s hospital Mumias for treatment.
“The patient had travelled to eastern parts of Uganda to visit a relative on September 15, 2022. While in Uganda he got a trauma and was cut at the right upper limb, he sought medical attention at a health facility in Uganda where the cut was sutured. He moved to Kenya for further Medical attention,” Gichana said.
Uganda Health Minister, Dr Jane Ruth Ocero announced today that Ebola had claimed the life of a 37year old Tanzanian doctor studying in Uganda rising the death toll to eight.
“I regret to announce that we have lost our first doctor, Dr Mohammed Ali, a Tanzanian National,” she said.
Ali died while undergoing treatment at Fort Portal RRH, Isolation unit in Uganda on Monday after testing positive for Ebola.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that it takes two to 21 days from the time of the virus infection before symptoms such as fever, lethargy, muscle discomfort, headaches, and sore throat appear.
Vomiting, diarrhea, dermatitis, deteriorated kidney and liver function, and in certain circumstances, both internal and external bleeding are other symptoms.
However, a conclusive lab test is necessary because numerous diseases, such as Marburg fever, the flu, malaria, and typhoid fever, can present the same symptoms as EVD.
Only four laboratories, located at the Kenya Medical Research Institute, meet WHO’s
negative pressure level III lab standards for testing Ebola.
Several diagnostic techniques including a 15-minute PCR test, can be used to confirm the presence of the Ebola virus.