By Okong’o Oduya
Kenya is on high alert after an Ebola case was confirmed in Kasese uganda. Kenya borders Uganda and there are many people who travel across the borders.
The officer in charge of port Health Services in Busia border post Russey Joshua confirmed that they have received reports of Ebola outbreak in Kasese western Uganda from their Uganda counterparts.
According to Russey they were recently notified about the outbreak of the killer disease by the Uganda authorities through Uganda ministry of health in collaboration with world health organization ,where a 5-year-old boy who was travelling with his family from the Democratic Republic of Congo was rushed to Kasese District Hospital showing Ebola symptoms.
Addressing the media, Russey confirmed that the process of screening every person using the border post to enter into the country are going on just to make sure that the disease does not find its way in the country using Busia border.
He noted that Kasese town is less than 600 kilometers away from Busia border which puts Kenya at risk of contracting the disease if no measures are taken.
“We have all measures in place to make sure every traveler is screened before crossing to Kenya. Our officers are screening every person going through this border and if we find any case we are ready to quarantine the victim and medication starts immediately but so far we have not received any case” he said.
He called upon the public in Kenya to be alert and cooperate with the immigration, health and security officials to ensure effective screening takes place at all border entry points to prevent possibilities of the disease crossing to Kenya
Alert from Ministry of Health in Uganda through the minister of health Aceng Jane Ruth said that the child was in the company of the mother who is married in Uganda had gone to bury his father in DRC who succumbed to Ebola tested positive of the disease after Uganda Virus Research Institute examined the blood, thereafter, the two and other families from DRC were isolated at Bwera Hospital Ebola Treatment Unit for further management.
The report further revealed that the Ugandan Ministry of Health in collaboration with, World Health Organization and center for disease control have dispatched a rapid response team to Kasese the border town of Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda to support the Health team there to continue with the various activities including, contact tracing and case management.
Speaking to a number of travelers mostly on transit from Burundi noted that the process of screening is taking place in all borders from Burundi- Rwanda border, Rwanda-Uganda and Uganda-Busia border.
Ebola virus disease is a viral hemorrhagic fever of humans and other primates caused by ebola viruses. Signs and symptoms typically start between two days and three weeks after contracting the virus with a fever, sore throat, muscular pain, and headaches.
