NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 7 — Public Health Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni has reassured Kenyans that the country has not experienced an Ebola outbreak following confirmation of its first imported case, saying health authorities are focused on tracing and managing contacts to prevent further transmission.

📻 Breaking It Down

Muthoni said the confirmed case should not be interpreted as an outbreak, with the government instead concentrating on identifying and monitoring people who may have been exposed to the patient.

“We do not have any outbreak of Ebola in this country. What we are having is an important case which now we have to manage the contacts,” Muthoni said on Wednesday.

She said contact tracing remained critical to ensuring there is no spread and no further risk to the public.

📌 What You Need to Know

The Ministry of Health has so far identified fifty-seven contacts linked to the confirmed case, with ten people already placed in quarantine facilities in Nairobi.

The ten contacts are being monitored at the National Police Service Hospital as health officials continue efforts to locate the remaining forty-seven.

Muthoni said ministry officials were in the field following up on people identified as having come into contact with the patient or their relatives.

The patient, who travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), died on October 6, prompting intensified surveillance and contact-tracing efforts.

Muthoni said all health officers across the country had been activated to ensure suspected cases are identified and responded to promptly.

The Ministry is also working with county governments and faith-based health facilities to prepare for a possible increase in suspected cases.

📰 Source: Capital FM Kenya