The Kericho woman who was suspected of having contracted the deadly Ebola virus, was confirmed to have tested negative on Monday evening.
The lady who had been isolated at the Kericho County Referral Hospital tested negative for the Ebola disease as well for Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers.
The 36-year-old had been placed under quarantine, after experiencing hemorrhagic fevers that raised concern among residents and other health officers.
“The result of the tests carried out by the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) laboratories on the blood samples from the 36-year-old lady who is currently admitted in the isolation unit at the Kericho County Referral Hospital have been confirmed to be negative for Ebola Viral Disease (EVD) and other Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers,” ascertained a statement by Health Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki.
The news came as a relief to the country which was in a state of panic over a possible outbreak, with health officials in neighbouring counties such as Kisumu setting up isolation wards.
According to reports by County officials on Monday, the woman had travelled to Nairobi from Malaba, on the border of Kenya and Uganda, to see her spouse.
After the reports of a possible Ebola infection, blood samples of the patient were taken for testing at KEMRI with further precautionary measures being taken.
The CS further reaffirmed that “there is no case of Ebola in the country”, adding however that “we are prepared in terms of Ebola prevention and response measures and therefore there is no need for panic.”
An alert has also been given to health workers and the general public to enhance surveillance measures with a National Ebola Preparedness and Response Contingency Plan being developed to guide the implementation of Ebola prevention and response activities in case of any future outbreak.
