10 quarantined, 57 contacts identified as Health Ministry steps up response

10 quarantined, 57 contacts identified as Kenya steps up response. [AFP]

The Ministry of Health says it has intensified its response to Ebola after Kenya reported its first case.

Speaking on Wednesday, October 7, Public Health Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni said 10 people had been quarantined so far, while 57 contacts had been identified through contact tracing.

The number is expected to rise as health officials continue following up on people identified as having come into contact with the patient or their relatives.

Muthoni said despite the confirmed case, Kenya was not experiencing an outbreak, describing it as an imported case that was under management.

She said the ministry is working closely with county governments and faith-based health facilities to prepare for a possible increase in cases.

“We remain alert and all officers around the country are activated to ensure timely response to any suspected case,” Muthoni said after chairing a stakeholder meeting at the Ministry of Health headquarters in Nairobi.

The ministry has also heightened surveillance at 15 points of entry, while treatment centres are being activated in counties bordering neighbouring countries.

Health Director-General Patrick Amoth said the country remained prepared to accommodate anyone requiring isolation or quarantine, including through the establishment of makeshift facilities if necessary.

He said health officials remained on high alert as teams continued to follow up on the contacts already identified.

The first case involved a patient who had travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo through Kampala before arriving in Kenya.

The patient developed symptoms including fever, chills, intense fatigue and bleeding under the skin at an injection site, prompting doctors to suspect a viral haemorrhagic fever. Samples were subsequently tested at the National Reference Laboratory.

The patient was admitted to The Nairobi Hospital, where they were isolated and received treatment under infection-control measures before they died.

The death triggered contact-tracing efforts involving people who may have been exposed to the patient, including those linked to the patient's journey and relatives.

The ministry says the response will continue to be guided by surveillance, contact tracing and regular communication with the public.