Kenya ramps up Ebola measures after 1st case

Kenya has stepped up contact tracing and surveillance after confirming its first imported Ebola case on Tuesday, with 57 contacts identified and 10 placed under quarantine as the country seeks to prevent further transmission.

The patient, a Kenyan citizen who had been living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, fell ill there and received treatment at several hospitals before traveling by road to Kampala, Uganda and then flying to Nairobi on Saturday. He was admitted and isolated at Nairobi Hospital, where he died on Monday night.

Kenya's Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale described the case as an imported Ebola incident rather than an outbreak, saying health authorities are tracing people who may have come into contact with the patient, including family members, health workers, and immigration officials, with the number of contacts expected to increase as investigations continue. The Ministry of Health said that health officials across the country had been activated to ensure a timely response to suspected cases.

Kenya's Public Health and Professional Standards Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni said the ministry was working with county governments and faith-based health facilities to prepare for a possible increase in cases, while urging the public to remain calm.

Kenya has also placed travelers arriving from 10 countries under enhanced surveillance following the confirmation of the imported case and death.

At the Malaba One-Stop Border Post between Kenya and Uganda, health officials have shifted from preparedness to active response after the confirmation of the case.

"We had some officers on the ground. Police heightened security and are following the Ebola protocols now," said Evelyn Walela, public health officer in charge of Malaba Port.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, on Wednesday urged countries to focus on screening, contact tracing and other public health measures rather than blanket travel or trade restrictions as Ebola cases continue to be reported in the region.

Tedros' remarks came as the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo continued. According to the government, the outbreak has recorded more than 8,660 confirmed cases, with more than 4,170 deaths.

The outbreak in the DR Congo is creating new hot spots, officials say.

More than 70 percent of new cases are still coming from outside of known contacts and at least 60 percent of deaths are outside of treatment centers, Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya told The Associated Press.

Meanwhile, South Sudan has stepped up nationwide preparedness and surveillance against Ebola after neighboring Kenya confirmed an imported case, the Ministry of Health said on Wednesday.

Xinhua and agencies contributed to this story.

sharon@chinadailyafrica.com