Kenya could be staring at a case of imported viral hemorrhagic fever, with health officials in Wajir County holding a man who travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and is suspected to be ailing from the disease.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

Viral hemorrhagic fevers are a diverse group of highly infectious, life-threatening illnesses that damage the circulatory system, and Ebola is one of the most lethal types.

The 20-year-old man, a cargo truck driver, is said to have travelled through DRC, Uganda, and several parts of Kenya before arriving at his residence on September 20.

He developed a severe illness and failed to respond to treatment. According to officials, he exhibited the signs and symptoms while in DRC on September 2.

📌 What You Need to Know

According to the health authorities, the man is a resident of Habaswein in Wajir South Subcounty and was admitted to Albadar Nursing Home exhibiting signs such as fever, headache, cough, and also severe anaemia and a haemoglobin of 4g/dL.

Preliminary reports indicate that he informed the authorities that he travelled by trailer from different countries, where he stayed about five days and sought medical treatment, and was later transported to Malaba before travelling through Nairobi and Isiolo.

Upon his arrival at his residence, he was treated at Hilac Medical Clinic for pneumonia and septicaemia for about three days, despite his condition not improving, which resulted in his transfer to Albadar Nursing Home for further treatment.

It has not yet been confirmed that the suspected case is Ebola, but the incident had been reported to the National Health Virology Laboratory, with sample collection already completed, and the specimen is due to be shipped for laboratory testing.

This occurs as Kenya confirmed its first imported Ebola case in the country, which has led to the country putting up much stricter measures on the country’s borders, with the health sector also issuing safety measures that Kenyans should take to avoid the spread of the virus.

Organisations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) have also come in advising Kenyans not to go on lockdown,   claiming that doing this can be less effective than practical screening at various designated points.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke