Kericho woman tests negative for Ebola

A woman who was on Sunday evening put in isolation at the Kericho County Referral Hospital over a suspected case of Ebola infection has tested negative for the deadly disease.

The Ministry of Health, in a statement released Monday evening, added that tests conducted on the woman revealed that she was also negative for any Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers.

“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,” read the statement by Health Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki.

The CS further sought to reaffirm 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.”

The news comes as a relief as the country was thrown into a state of panic over a possible outbreak with health officials in neighboring counties such as Kisumu even setting up isolation wards.

The woman was traveling to Nairobi from Malaba at the border between Kenya and the neighbouring Uganda, where a number of Ebola related deaths have been reported.

She was then isolated at the hospital where her blood samples were taken and sent to KEMRI in Nairobi for further analysis.