Laboratory tests rule out contagious ebola virus

By ALLY JAMAH

Laboratory tests done by Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri) on blood samples of Gladys Muthoni ruled out the dreaded ebola disease.

Ministry of Public Health officials also confirmed that Gladys was expelling fresh blood from the mouth, contradicting earlier reports that she was bleeding from all her body openings.

"We wish to assure Kenyans that the cause of death was not ebola or any other haemorrhagic fever

Medical experts after taking a sample from the body of Gladys Muthoni at Kenyatta National Hospital on Thursday. [PHOTO:JENNIFER WACHIE/STANDARD]

virus infection," said Public Health and Sanitation Director Shahnaz Sharrif at a press conference in Nairobi Friday.

Quarantine

The 29-year-old bled to death on her way to Kenyatta National Hospital on Thursday.

Three individuals who came into close contact with her, including her father and a taxi driver, were yesterday released from quarantine.

"I am in 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," Mr Gibson Kagai, said upon being released.

Dr Sharriff explained that since the clothes that Muthoni was wearing 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 establish what caused the death of Muthoni.

However, medics suspect the bleeding could have been caused by a severe ulcer in the stomach or other conditions that cause bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract.

But family members said the deceased had no history of ulcers or intestinal bleeding.