Is Kenya prepared to curb the Ebola threat?

NAIROBI, October 6 - Kenya has reported its first Ebola case after a Kenyan national, who had traveled from the Democratic Republic of Congo, passed away in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. This marks the fourth country to record an Ebola case linked to the epidemic in eastern Congo, which is the second largest outbreak on record with over 8,000 cases.

Uganda had 20 cases and two deaths earlier this year but was declared Ebola-free in August. The Kenyan patient, who had lived in Congo for seven years, fell ill about a month after arriving from Congo. He travelled by road from Congo to Uganda's capital, Kampala, and then flew to Nairobi on Saturday. Upon arrival at Nairobi's airport, he underwent health screening and was subsequently admitted to Nairobi Hospital in isolation with symptoms including fever, chills, and bleeding beneath the skin.

The patient died late on Monday. Eight of his family members and 21 healthcare workers who treated him have been quarantined. Kenya has trained nearly 5,000 health workers on Ebola prevention and management. The Africa CDC has sent a high-level team to provide support to Kenya, emphasizing the importance of preparedness in the region.

The World Health Organization is also supporting the Kenyan and Ugandan governments and advised against travel restrictions. The incident has raised questions about airport screening procedures, as the patient may have bypassed screening due to symptom suppression by medication.