Kenya has confirmed one imported case of Ebola

Virginia Messina, CEO of the African Travel and Tourism Association (ATTA®), said:

“We are saddened to hear of the death of a patient in Kenya from an imported case of Ebola and our thoughts are with his family.

“Kenya has been preparing extensively for this type of scenario and we have every confidence in the country’s experienced health authorities and the measures they have put in place to identify, isolate and respond to cases.

“The rapid identification and monitoring of contacts following this case demonstrates the importance of those preparedness measures.

“It is also important to put this development into context. Ebola is not an airborne disease and is transmitted through direct contact with the blood or other bodily fluids of an infected person, or with contaminated materials. Uganda successfully brought its recent outbreak to an end and was formally declared Ebola-free in August.

“Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda remain open to international travellers and there is currently no recommendation from the World Health Organization for restrictions on travel or trade in response to the outbreak.

“We will continue to monitor the situation closely and encourage travellers and the tourism industry to follow the latest official health guidance. As ever, it is important that the industry responds to developments based on authoritative public-health advice and the facts on the ground.”