The Ministry of Health has confirmed one new case of Ebola in Kenya, bringing the total number of confirmed infections to eight as health authorities continue testing individuals for the deadly viral disease.
Director-General for Health Dr Patrick Amoth announced the latest case after 38 people were tested, with one returning a positive result.
According to Amoth, the latest patient is a 49-year-old man who developed symptoms including fever, headache and muscle pain before testing positive for the virus.
“Today we tested 38 persons; one turned positive- not a direct health care worker, a 49-year-old gentleman who developed symptoms of fever, headache, and muscle pain, and his test came out positive,” Amoth stated during an interview with Citizen TV on Sunday, October 18.
He clarified that the patient was not a direct healthcare worker, although further details about the circumstances surrounding the infection had not been provided.
The latest case comes barely a day after the Ministry of Health announced four new Ebola infections on Saturday, October 17, pushing Kenya’s confirmed cases to seven.
The latest update has since raised the tally to eight, although a separate official statement confirming the revised number had not been issued by the time of publication.
Amoth Assures Kenyans
Speaking during a television interview, Amoth maintained that Kenya has adequate resources and systems to contain the outbreak.
“As a country, we are very well prepared, including the cases that have come out as of today, which are basically from healthcare workers and immediate family members of the deceased,” Amoth stated.
The Director General also sought to reassure medical personnel over the availability of protective equipment for those handling suspected and confirmed Ebola patients.
“We think that we have adequate quantities of personal protective equipment to be able to distribute to healthcare workers,” he said.
His remarks come amid mounting concerns about infections among frontline healthcare workers involved in treating Ebola patients.
On Saturday, October 17, the Ministry of Health confirmed that three healthcare workers who had attended to Kenya’s first Ebola patient had tested positive for the virus. The affected workers comprised two men and one woman aged 29, 35 and 32, respectively.
According to the government, the three were already in quarantine when they developed symptoms, a measure intended to minimise the risk of exposing additional people to the virus.
Healthcare Workers Face Growing Risk
The infections have heightened attention on workplace safety, infection prevention and the availability of protective equipment as Kenya steps up its response to the outbreak.
The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has also expressed concerns about the country’s preparedness, calling for greater involvement of healthcare workers in managing the outbreak.
Amoth’s assurance on personal protective equipment addresses one of the major concerns facing medical personnel as health authorities continue monitoring individuals who may have been exposed to the virus.
In its October 17 update, the Ministry of Health reported that 128 of the 130 identified contacts had been traced and placed under quarantine.
Health authorities are monitoring the contacts for 21 days from their last possible exposure to the virus, in line with the incubation period used in Ebola surveillance.
The monitoring exercise is intended to identify infections early and limit the possibility of further transmission.
Despite the rising number of confirmed cases, the government has maintained that there is no evidence of wider community transmission.
