Kenya's suspected second Ebola case turns out to be malaria
A patient isolated in Wajir tested negative for the virus, the health minister says. Screening and contact tracing continue after the country's first confirmed death on Tuesday.
Nairobi — A patient isolated in north-eastern Kenya on suspicion of Ebola has tested negative for the virus and positive for malaria, the health cabinet secretary, Aden Duale, has said, according to Capital FM.
The patient was being treated at Habaswein Sub-County Hospital in Wajir South. Doctors raised the alarm after assessing the person's condition and travel history. Samples were sent to the National Public Health Virology Laboratory in Nairobi.
The governor of Wajir, Ahmed Abdullahi, announced that the preliminary results ruled out Ebola. The patient was started on antimalarial medicine on Thursday night.
One confirmed case
Kenya has so far confirmed one case of Ebola. That patient, a Kenyan who had lived in the Democratic Republic of Congo for seven years, travelled through Uganda and arrived in Nairobi on 3 October on a Jambojet flight. The patient died on 6 October.
Health workers have been tracing people who were in contact with that patient.
Surveillance continues
The Ministry of Health says heightened surveillance, contact tracing and screening at points of entry remain in place. It has asked the public to report suspected cases on the free hotline 719.
Early symptoms of Ebola, such as fever, headache and weakness, are also typical of malaria, which is far more common. That is why suspected cases are isolated until laboratory results are back.
The outbreak began in eastern DR Congo. Somalia set up a preparedness committee this week, as we reported earlier.
This report is based on reporting by Capital FM, via AllAfrica.
