Ethiopian Review

The government has confirmed a total of six cases of swine flu in the country among them 3 Kenyans and 3 Britons.

Meanwhile the 34 Nottingham university students and their supervisor who reported the first case of swine flu in Kenya and had been quarantined in a Kisumu hotel have left the country.

Six of them left the country Sunday night while the rest left Monday morning.

Latest cases

Addressing a press conference, Public Health and Sanitation Minister Beth Mugo said the latest two patients with the H1N1 virus were from Garissa and Kisii respectively.

The patient in Garissa is a young girl, a UK citizen of Somali origin who traveled from Britain with her immediate family to visit their relatives.

“The are in Garissa and a total of 30 people mainly relatives are in quarantine awaiting results of their tests” said Mugo.

The other case involves a British student who was in a group of four who are in the country for field attachment.

The student has been put on treatment while his colleagues are isolated in Kisii.

Kenyans

Two other cases have been detected in Nairobi.

Of the six, 3 patients are British nationals while the rest are Kenyans who came into contact with the Britons.

The minister reiterated that the government was on high alert and was monitoring the situation.

” There should be no alarm as we are doing everything to curb the spread of influenza AH1H1, and we have already put in place appropriate preventive measures” She assured.

Mugo disclosed her ministry will roll out a communication campaign through the media to sensitize the public on the disease.

Mugo explained that the disease is a relatively mild one and does not require hospitalization but isolation.

She further directed all medical personnel countrywide to be on high alert and isolate suspected cases until test are confirmed.

- By Wangari Kanyongo/Margaret Kalekye | KBC