MoH Identifies 20 Counties At Risk Of Ebola Virus
The Ministry of Health has identified 20 counties as high-risk areas for the Ebola virus as infection cases take a rise in Uganda yet no Ebola cases have been registered in Kenya.
Lydia Kadima 
The counties of Busia, Nakuru, Kiambu, Nairobi, Kajiado, Machakos, Makueni, Taita Taveta, Mombasa, Kwale, Bungoma, Siaya, Migori, Homa Bay, Kisumu, Trans Nzoia, West Pokot, Turkana, Uasin Gishu, and Kericho are likely to be affected by Ebola.
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), Kisumu, Eldoret, and Mombasa International Airports were singled out as potential risk factors, along with the dense Ugandan population in Nairobi, Kajiado, and Kakuma.
The director general of health Dr. Patrick Amoth on Tuesday said that there are no plans to halt planes out of Uganda; rather, the ministry has stepped up surveillance and screening at all entrance ports and border crossings.
Dr. Amoth on Tuesday also brought up the possibility that Kenya could become infected with Ebola due to the number of people traveling between the two countries via the ground crossing sites at Busia and Malaba.
Dr. Amoth has urged Kenyans to tell chiefs, Nyumba Kumi, and village headmen of any tourists entering the nation illegally.
The Health Ministry also advised Kenyans to be aware of the warning signs and symptoms of Ebola, which include high fever, vomiting, coughing, chest discomfort, diarrhea, a rash like measles, and bleeding from bodily openings.
The Ebola virus enters the body through contact with contaminated blood, urine, feces, semen, or other bodily fluids and has an incubation period of 2 to 21 days.
In the meanwhile, Kenyans have been urged to report any suspected Ebola cases to the closest medical facility or contact the Ministry of Health.
