Kenya on high alert after Uganda reports Ebola outbreak
The government of Kenya, through the Ministry of Health, has asked citizens to be on high alert following a case of Ebola that was reported in Uganda on Tuesday.
In a statement, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has asked county governments to be vigilant and to enhance its surveillance especially at the border points.
One of the measures that ministry has put in place is screening of at-risk populations including the travelers, truck drivers, bush meat handlers and healthcare workers.
The CS said the county governments should activate the rapid response teams to support identification of any suspected cases and to make prompt reporting.
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County governments have also been asked to sensitise the communities about the identification of the suspected case of Ebola, and to sensitise its healthcare workers on infection, prevention and control measures, case management as well as sample management.
Further, the CS has asked county governments to mobilise all the stakeholders to initiate prevention, preparedness, and response measures.
Kenyans have also been asked to take heightened precautions while visiting Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where the cases have previously been reported at.
“The general public is also asked to watch out for any person presenting with acute onset of fever,” CS Kagwe said.
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Some of the signs that might be displayed by a person, especially if in contact with persons with history of traveling to Uganda or DRC, could be vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pains, headache, sore throat, measles like rash, red eyes, and bleeding from body openings.
The Ebola case in Uganda was reported in the central Mubende District. The announcement of the outbreak, which is considered sensitive due to its likely negative impact on tourism, was made this morning.
“Uganda confirms an outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Mubende District, Uganda. The confirmed case is a 24-year-old male a resident Ngabano village of Madudu Sub County in Mubende District presented with EVD symptoms and later succumbed,” the health ministry said.
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