- Laikipia county health authorities confirmed that two patients presenting with Ebola-like symptoms were admitted at separate hospitals in Nanyuki
- Blood samples from both patients were rushed to Nairobi for testing amid growing public anxiety over a confirmed Ebola death elsewhere in Kenya
- County health officials urged residents to maintain preventive hygiene measures and avoid direct contact with symptomatic individuals
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Nancy Odindo is a current affairs writer at Tuko.co.ke (joined in 2023). She has one year of experience in print and more than five years in digital media.
Laikipia county health officials announced on Wednesday, October 14, that two patients admitted to hospitals in Nanyuki with symptoms resembling those of Ebola have tested negative for the virus, offering some relief amid heightened national concern.
Source: UGC
One patient was received at Nanyuki Teaching and Referral Hospital while a second was admitted to a private facility in the area. Both presented with clinical signs that raised initial alarm given the country's current Ebola alert status.
Samples tested in Nairobi
Authorities collected blood samples from both patients and dispatched them to Nairobi for laboratory analysis. Results were returned in under 24 hours, confirming neither individual was infected with the Ebola virus.
A county health official, addressing a press briefing held outside the Nanyuki Teaching and Referral Hospital's Outpatient and Emergency Complex, stated: "We were able to collect blood samples and send them to Nairobi for testing. Within less than 24 hours, we received the results, which confirmed that we do not have Ebola and that these patients were not suffering from Ebola."
The official added: "It is important to state that there is no longer any fear of an Ebola outbreak."
Public urged to stay cautious
Despite the negative results, health authorities asked residents not to let their guard down. Officials specifically advised the public to wash hands regularly, avoid unnecessary physical contact with symptomatic individuals, and report suspected cases to health facilities rather than handling them directly.
"If someone appears to have such symptoms, they should not be touched directly. Instead, the matter should first be reported to a hospital or healthcare officials so that trained medical personnel can respond using the appropriate procedures," the official said.
Ebola patient dies at Nairobi Hospital
Meanwhile, the Nanyuki scare emerged against the backdrop of a confirmed Ebola Bundibugyo virus (BDBV) case in Kenya.
Source: Facebook
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said the patient, a Kenyan citizen who lived in the Democratic Republic of Congo for seven years before returning home, was isolated in Nairobi Hospital's East Wing.
The patient presented with fever, chills, intense fatigue, muscle pain, painful swallowing, sore throat, and bleeding under the skin at injection sites. Duale confirmed that the patient died following supportive treatment.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
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