Duale: 28 contacts linked to deceased Ebola patient listed, 27 more being traced

The Ministry of Health has intensified contact tracing after Kenya confirmed its first Ebola case, with Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale saying authorities have so far identified 28 contacts linked to the deceased patient.

Duale said the list includes family members of the deceased as well as healthcare workers who attended to the patient during the period of illness.

The government, Duale said, is also pursuing people who may have been exposed to the patient during travel, with health officials working to trace 23 passengers and four crew members who were on the same flight as the deceased.

“So far, we have listed 28 contacts of the deceased, including family members and healthcare workers who attended to the deceased,” Duale said.

“We are also pursuing a further 23 passengers and four crew members who were on the same flight as the deceased.”

The contact-tracing exercise is aimed at identifying and monitoring people who may have come into contact with the patient, as health authorities move to contain the spread of the virus.

The inclusion of passengers and crew members in the tracing effort widens the scope of the operation beyond the patient’s immediate circle, with authorities seeking to establish possible links arising from the flight.

Duale said the ministry was pursuing all identified contacts as part of measures to prevent further transmission.

The development follows the death of the patient who had been receiving treatment at Nairobi Hospital.

According to the CS, who was addressing the press on Tuesday, the patient underwent the normal public health screening at the Port Health facility at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) before proceeding through immigration.

He was then transported directly from JKIA to Nairobi Hospital by a relative and a friend.

At the hospital, the patient was quickly isolated in a separate room at the Accident and Emergency area before being transferred to the East Wing isolation facility.

Duale said the facility had previously been selected for Covid-19 treatment and had the necessary facilities to manage the patient.

The patient presented with fever, chills, intense fatigue, weakness, muscle pain, painful swallowing, a sore throat and bleeding under the skin at the injection site.

“Based on the above presentation and history of travel to DRC, the doctor collected the sample for testing and it turned positive for Ebola,” Duale said.

He said the patient was given supportive treatment but died at around 11.30 pm on Monday night.

The patient was given supportive treatment but regrettably passed on last night at around 11.30 pm. We take this opportunity to pass our condolences to the family,” Duale said.

He said arrangements for a safe and dignified burial were ongoing and that the patient would be buried on Tuesday in line with Ebola-safe and dignified public health protocols.