Man isolated in Kenya's Wajir after DRC trip tests negative for Ebola in preliminary results

Preliminary laboratory results for a 20-year-old man isolated in Habaswein, Wajir County, after travelling from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have returned negative for Ebola virus disease, Wajir County authorities said on 8 October, according to Eastleigh Voice and The Standard. "These results are reassuring," Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi said in a statement. He said health officials would continue to monitor the patient and provide medical care as required.

Capital FM and The Standard reported on 7 October that the man had been isolated as a suspected case of viral haemorrhagic fever. Capital FM said at the time that his illness had not been confirmed as Ebola or any other specific viral haemorrhagic fever. Capital FM cited a police report, and The Standard cited a disease surveillance report filed at Habaswein Police Station.

The patient is a resident of Habaswein in Wajir South Sub-County and was admitted at Albadar Nursing Home. He presented with fever, headache and cough, had severe anaemia, with a haemoglobin level of 4 g/dL, and at the time remained clinically unwell. On 8 October he was being assessed at Habaswein Sub-County Hospital.

He worked as a truck assistant, known as a tan boy, on a cargo truck in the DRC, where he developed fever and headache on 2 September. He then travelled through Uganda, the border town of Malaba, Nairobi and Isiolo, reaching Habaswein on about 20 September.

Before admission to Albadar Nursing Home, he was treated at Hilac Medical Clinic for pneumonia and septicaemia for about three days without improvement. At Albadar he received intravenous Augmentin, paracetamol and two units of whole blood.

Samples from the patient were sent to the National Public Health Virology Laboratory (NPHVL) in Nairobi. The county government said the Ministry of Health and the county health department would continue to monitor him.

Separately, Kenya confirmed its first case of Ebola, of the Bundibugyo strain, on 6 October, in a Kenyan who had travelled from the DRC. The patient had died at Nairobi Hospital on 5 October, The Standard reported on 9 October. Capital FM reported on 7 October that the Ministry of Health had said Kenya was not experiencing an Ebola outbreak.