Duale: Three suspected Ebola cases tested negative, surveillance upped

Kenya's Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale moved to calm public anxiety on Wednesday after three individuals were subjected to Ebola screening following reports of potential exposure, confirming that all samples returned negative results.

The announcement came amid heightened regional concern after Uganda reported a fresh outbreak of the Sudan strain of Ebola Virus Disease earlier this month, prompting Kenya's health authorities to activate surveillance protocols at border crossings and major points of entry, including Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and the Busia border post.

Duale, addressing a press briefing in Nairobi, declined to disclose the identities or locations of the three individuals who were tested, citing patient confidentiality, but said all three had been isolated as a precautionary measure before being cleared. He urged members of the public to avoid spreading unverified information on social media, which he said had caused unnecessary panic in recent days.

The Ministry of Health has since deployed rapid response teams to counties bordering Uganda, including Busia and Kakamega, and issued updated clinical guidelines to healthcare workers on case identification and infection prevention. Surveillance has also been tightened at the Port of Mombasa following shipping traffic with affected regions.

Kenya has maintained Ebola-free status through several previous outbreaks on the continent, relying on a combination of border health screenings, community surveillance, and coordination with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. The country last activated a full Ebola response protocol in 2019 following a cross-border alert from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Duale called on Kenyans to report any suspected cases to the toll-free health line and to seek immediate medical attention if presenting relevant symptoms, including sudden fever, unexplained bleeding, or severe headache following travel to affected areas.