By Mercy Imali
Test results of a female patient who was yesterday night admitted at Kericho County Referral Hospital with suspected Ebola symptoms will be out in within the next 24 hours. Her blood samples were taken to the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) in Nairobi.
The Kericho County Government confirmed that the patient, who had travelled from Malaba, Western Kenya, fell ill and exhibited symptoms similar to those of Ebola patients.
A statement from the County read, “The County Disease Surveillance Team immediately took over the matter and took all the necessary precautions to ensure that there was minimal contact between the patient and other persons at the hospital including the staff and the other hospital users. The symptoms could lead to a diagnosis of a different disease and the county has enough facilities to contain the situation.”
The Kenyan Government instructed Wilson Airport to subject travelers from Kisumu International Airport to mandatory Ebola test. Earlier on, it had announced commencement of similar tests at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
Border surveillance had intensified at Busia and Malaba with travelers from Uganda being screened for Ebola.