Kenya Strengthens Ebola Measures After First Case Is Detected

Kenya has stepped up Ebola surveillance and preparedness after recording its first case, following the death of a Kenyan man who tested positive at a hospital in Nairobi.

The man had lived in Congo for seven years and began feeling ill about a month before the case was reported. He traveled by road to Uganda and then flew to Nairobi on Saturday. He died on Monday after testing positive at a hospital in the Kenyan capital.

Border and airport controls expanded

Kenya’s Health Ministry has increased surveillance at border entry points and created a hotline for members of the public to report symptoms linked to Ebola.

The ministry has also assigned a specific gate at Kenya’s main airport for passengers arriving from 10 countries located within the outbreak’s epicenter. The names of those countries were not provided.

The patient’s journey across three countries before detection has prompted concerns about the ability to identify and trace infections during cross-border travel.

Jean Kaseya, director-general of the Africa CDC, said the case showed the importance of stronger checks at entry points.

“We need to ensure that at point of entry, we have a strong surveillance system in place,” Kaseya told The Associated Press.

Isolation capacity increased

Kenya has designated five health facilities to manage Ebola patients, with a combined total of 241 isolation beds. The Health Ministry said work was continuing to expand that capacity.

The ministry also said the country had sufficient supplies, including personal protective equipment, and had mobilized resources since the outbreak began in Congo in May.

The source did not provide the patient’s name or age, identify the hospital where he was treated, or give details of the hotline. It also did not state how many contacts had been identified or placed under monitoring.