Nearly half of the country’s 47 counties are at risk of an Ebola outbreak due to their proximity to Uganda where 23 out of the 36 identified cases have since died.

The government also revealed yesterday that counties along the Northern corridor especially on the Busia Mombasa highway could also be exposed in case of an outbreak of the disease in Kenya.

Health Director General, Dr Patrick Amoth while issuing an Ebola status update in the country, described these areas as easy hotspots for the disease if it gets imported. “We are in a new world order, where we have one disease outbreak after another. However, now we have a plan to respond in case of any outbreak,” he said in Nairobi yesterday where the Ministry of Health hosted a multi-agency team.

Some of the counties that are at high risk of exposure include; Busia, Bungoma, Siaya, Migori, Homa Bay, Kisumu, Trans Nzoia, West Pokot, Turkana, Uasin Gishu and Kericho. Mainly, Amoth said these ones are due to their proximity to Uganda.

The others are Nakuru, Kiambu, Nairobi, Kajiado, Machakos, Makueni, Taita Taveta, Mombasa, and Kwale, because of they are along the northern transport corridor that links the neighbouring Uganda and Kenya’s Coast.

The reason the government is cautioning the public to raise alertness on the zoonotic disease is the fact that the Ebola virus spreads fast and can kill the infected individuals within 6 to 16 days after showing symptoms. “In Uganda for instance, the fatality rate of the disease has shown to be high at 64 percent,” he said, revealing that as of Monday two more districts in Uganda reported outbreak, and the fatality likely to increase.

However, Amoth said there is no single case of Ebola which has been reported in the country so far. He was emphatic that to prevent any outbreak or to record success in tackling it, the community is going to play a key role in being alert and reporting any suspected case. “We are better prepared for this borrowing from the lessons we learnt during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, we want this to be a community-based response,” he stated.

He said there is a plan, and the government with support of her partners, is ready to respond if a crisis arises.

“We are now screening all passengers arriving in the country at points of entry. We are also encouraging vigilance at all these areas and the porous border through the Nyumba Kumi initiative.

Amoth revealed that about 18,726 people were screened between September 20 and 25, 2022.

Busy human traffic

The government, he said, will not take chances since there is a high risk of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) spread to Kenya due to the busy human traffic between Kenya and Uganda through the Busia and Malaba ground crossing points, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), Kisumu, Eldoret and Mombasa international airports.