Kenya allays fears of Ebola outbreak

Kenya's Ministry of Health has allayed fears of an Ebola outbreak following the death of a woman at the Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi.

At the same time, KNH Friday discharged three people who had been quarantined for being in contact with Ms Gladys Muthoni who died from excessive bleeding.

Findings by scientists from the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) and the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) showed that there were no traces of Ebola or any other related infectious disease in the blood samples taken from the body of the woman.

“Blood specimen obtained was analysed in both KEMRI and CDC laboratories and is negative for all viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF) including Ebola,” said Director of Public Health Sharif Shanaaz.

VHF is characterised by fever and bleeding which can lead to shock and death in most cases. They include Ebola, Yellow Fever, Marburg Fever and Rift Valley Fever among others.

For Ebola, normally, early signs of this infection start with tiredness, headache, sore throat then high fever before bleeding sets in from any body opening like the mouth, nose, vaginal opening or the anus.

Dr Shanaaz, told reporters in Nairobi that the 29-year-old woman, who was a restaurant attendant, might have died from bleeding possibly caused by stomach ulcer or a related ailment.

“Tests showed that the lady was not suffering from any infectious disease, but she was vomiting blood and indication that she might have had an ulcer.”