Via Xinhua: Fears of Ebola outbreak as patient admitted in Kenya's coast. Excerpt:
Fears gripped Kenya's coastal city of Mombasa on Friday after a truck driver was quarantined at the local hospital.
The patient was admitted that the Aga Khan Hospital after he was suspected to be infected with the deadly Ebola virus, a few days after his arrival from Kampala, Uganda.
Health officials at the Aga Khan Hospital confirmed that the 61- year-old man was admitted at the hospital on Friday as soon as he arrived, and kept in isolation.
The Coast Provincial Director of Public Health and Sanitation Dr. Anisa Omar said the truck driver was admitted and found to be having symptoms of fatigue, sore throat and fever, prompting doctors to seclude him from the rest of the patients at the hospital.
"Yes, it's true the man was in Kampala from Aug. 3 and when he arrived at the facility, he was found to be having those symptoms," Omar said.
He said the truck driver decided to seek medical attention at Agha Khan Hospital where he was isolated from the other patients after being examined by the doctors.
"He is a truck driver and he is likely to have contracted the virus while on his trip. But what I can tell Kenyans is that our doctors are on high alert and that is why they were able to detect the symptoms. We are yet to confirm if indeed it is Ebola," said Anisa.
The driver only identified as Moses, was examined by doctors at the hospital who said he had symptoms resembling those of Ebola, but tests would be conducted to confirm the same.
Omar said that the patient's blood samples have been taken to Kenya Medical Research Institute in Nairobi and the results will be relayed as soon as they are back.
She at the same time allayed fears of the virus spreading to other parts of the region urging that the situation was under control.
The incident comes a week after Public Health and Sanitation Minister Beth Mugo assured the country that the government was doing all it can to shield Kenyans from the deadly virus.
