Kenya: Wajir Patient Tests Negative for Ebola, Positive for Malaria, Duale Says

What the report says

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said a patient in Wajir County who had been under assessment for a possible Ebola infection has tested negative for the virus and positive for malaria. According to the report carried by Capital FM and distributed by AllAfrica, the patient was receiving care at Habaswein Sub-County Hospital in Wajir South, where the Ebola concern prompted public health investigation and laboratory testing in Nairobi.

The malaria result gave doctors a clearer diagnosis and the patient was started on antimalarial treatment on Thursday night, the article said. Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi had earlier noted that preliminary tests from the National Public Health Virology Laboratory ruled out Ebola, and county officials said they would continue monitoring the patient while providing treatment. Residents were urged to stay calm and avoid sharing unverified claims.

The update comes as Kenya remains on alert after confirming its first imported Ebola case in a Kenyan citizen who had lived in the Democratic Republic of Congo for seven years. That patient died in Nairobi on October 6 while receiving treatment. Health authorities have since expanded surveillance, testing, contact tracing and screening at entry points, and have advised the public and health workers to follow infection-prevention guidance. In general, such measures are used to limit the spread of suspected viral outbreaks while laboratory results are pending.