Kenya has issued a health warning after Ebola outbreak was reported in Central Uganda, which claimed one life of a middle-aged man.
Speaking on the issue, Kenya’s Health Cabinet Secretary (CS) Mutahi Kagwe issued a stern warning to Kenyans to be alert, and not to help in importing the deadly virus into the country.
Uganda is one of the countries within the East African region that has struggled with the containment of the virus for so long, to no avail. In the latest case, it was reported that the disease had already claimed one life of a young man aged 24.
The matter is so serious with Kenya, since the porous nature of Kenya-Uganda border is so hard to be restricted even when there is such high possibilities of trans-border transmissions. Just barely a year ago, there has been disagreements between the two countries over the manner with which Uganda handled Kenyan drivers when there was an outbreak of coronavirus.
Uganda government found itself on the receiving end, as its Kenyan counterpart blamed the Yoweri Museveni-led administration of denying Kenyan truck drivers express passage to their country.
It is now a matter of wait-and-see if Kenya will as well put restrictions against its Ugandan.
While speaking to the press, the CS asked Kenyans to be very observant, and to follow strict health precautions so that they may evade any possible infections from the neighboring country.
“Sensitise health care workers on Infection, Prevention and Control (IPC) measures, case management and sample management and mobilize all the relevant stakeholders to initiate prevention, preparedness a. response measures and development of county EVD contingency plans,” CS Kagwe directed.
The Ebola virus enters the body through contact with infected blood, urine, faeces, semen or other bodily fluids within an incubation period of 2-21 days. But the disease is not like coronavirus, which depends on lack of immunity for it to be effective in the body. Ebola is so deadly that it barely takes a day a patient before one succumbs.
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