Jambojet supports Ebola contact tracing after Kenya reports first case

CS Health Aden Duale briefs the media on of one confirmed case Ebola Virus Disease at Afya House grounds, Nairobi. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

Jambojet has said it is working with the Ministry of Health to identify and manage passengers and crew who may have come into contact with a passenger who died from Ebola, after travelling on the airline from Entebbe to Nairobi.

The airline said it was supporting the ministry, Port Health Service and other relevant authorities in mapping and managing passengers and crew who were on the same flight on Saturday, October 3.

“We are working closely with the Ministry of Health, Port Health Service and other relevant authorities to support the ongoing public health response, including the identification and management of other guests and crew who may have been in contact with the individual,” the airline said.

Meanwhile, the Kenya Red Cross Society has urged Kenyans to remain vigilant but not panic, saying it is prepared to support the national response.

In a statement, Secretary General Ahmed Idris said the organisation had been monitoring the regional Ebola situation and strengthening its preparedness.

“With this confirmation, our response is now fully underway, under the leadership of the Ministry of Health,” Idris said, while sending condolences to the deceased’s family.

Red Cross said its teams were on the ground, including safe and dignified burial teams, community engagement teams and community-based surveillance volunteers. The teams are supporting the national response, sharing information with communities and reporting alerts through established channels.

At points of entry, Red Cross volunteers are working with health officials on screening and infection prevention measures.

The society further urged people experiencing symptoms such as sudden fever, weakness, vomiting or unexplained bleeding, particularly after recent travel or contact with a sick person, to seek medical care immediately.

Earlier Tuesday, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale confirmed Kenya’s first Ebola case, saying the infection had been imported from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The patient, a Kenyan citizen who had lived in the DRC for seven years, tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola. He died at Nairobi Hospital on Monday, October 5, after arriving in Kenya on October 3.