A 49-year-old man has tested positive for Ebola, raising Kenya’s total infections to eight. Health officials confirmed the result on Sunday, October 18, after the ministry tested 38 people that day.
Health Director General Patrick Amoth described the patient during an interview on Citizen TV. The man worked as a patient attendant at Nairobi Hospital and met the first confirmed patient.
Amoth stressed that the man is not a direct healthcare worker at the facility. He developed a fever, headache, and muscle pain before testing positive on Sunday.
Isolation and Quarantine
Health workers have isolated the patient and are preparing to begin his compassionate treatment. Officials will give him the same care that the seven other patients already received.
He was already in quarantine as a contact of the first confirmed case. Quarantine limits the chance of the virus reaching the wider public.
Treatment Update
Every confirmed patient before him has received monoclonal antibodies, according to the ministry. Amoth says they are responding well, and a 65-year-old patient is now stable.
Rwanda delivered another batch of medicine to Kenya at about 9 pm on Sunday. The ministry says it will deploy this new medicine to help patients fight the virus.
Protect Yourself
Ebola passes through direct contact with blood or body fluids from infected or dead people. Health officials stress that the virus does not spread through the air between people.
People with fever, unusual tiredness, muscle pain, vomiting, or diarrhoea should seek medical help immediately. Anyone who needs guidance can call the Ministry of Health toll-free line on 719.
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