Doctors rule out Ebola cases after tests

By ALLY JAMAH

Doctors are still trying to establish what killed the 29-year-old lady who bled to death on her way to Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi although tests have ruled out the highly contagious Ebola virus or any other viral haemorrhagic fever.

A sigh of relief greeted news that laboratory tests done by KEMRI CDC on blood samples of Gladys Muthoni were negative to the dreaded ebola, which would have created a health scare among Kenyans as they embark on the holiday season.

Initial reports that the deceased woman was bleeding from all her body openings proved inaccurate with the Ministry of Public Health officials confirming that Gladys was expelling fresh blood from the mouth only.

"We wish to assure Kenyans that the cause of death was not Ebola or any other haemorrhagic fever virus infection," said Dr Shahnaz Sharrif, the Director of Public Health and Sanitation in a press conference to calm national fears.

The three individuals who came into close contact with the deceased, including her father and a taxi driver were on Friday released from quarantine that had earlier been imposed on them.

"I’m mourning. My daughter left me suddenly. But I was not worried about the possibility of having Ebola. I had faith in God that it would not turn out to be Ebola or any other infectious disease," Gibson Kagai, the father of the deceased said on Friday upon being released.

Sharriff explained that since the clothes worn by the deceased were soaked with blood, the clinician who first examined the body suspected it to be Ebola or other viral haemorrhagic fevers like Marburg virus.

Dr Daniel Langat, an epidemiologist at the Ministry of Public Health said doctors are yet to work out exactly what killed the deceased woman, with initial theories being a severe ulcer in the stomach or other conditions that cause bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract.

But family members revealed that the deceased had no history of ulcers or intestinal bleeding. But her father confirmed that she had a pneumonia attack three weeks ago and that may have contributed to her tragic death.

Sharriff said that the government had already informed the matter to the World Health Organisation (WHO), which was closely following the case that was initially suspected to be Ebola.

There was wide interest on the story from the international media and had the case been confirmed to be Ebola, it could have seriously affected the tourism industry at its high season.

Meanwhile the hotel in Nairobi where Gladys used to work is expected to return to normal work after the fears of Ebola were dispelled by laboratory tests.