4 July 2009
Nairobi — Eight more people are suspected of having the H1N1 flu virus in Garissa town.
Addressing a news conference on Saturday, the Garissa Medical Officer of Health (MOH), Dr Abdullahi Abagira, said initial tests on blood samples taken from the family had shown traces of the flu.
The medical chief said additional blood samples had been taken to Nairobi for further testing.
Dr Abagira did not disclose their nationality but noted that the ministry had put their staff on the lookout to contain the virus.
The family is said to have travelled from Britain and their five-year-old child was diagnosed with the virus.
The Ministry of Public Health confirmed that the child had been taken ill, but said the other family members were just suspected cases.
If confirmed, this would push the swine flu toll to 20 patients after the World Health Organisation recorded 12 cases by Saturday.
In Kisumu, Health officials said they have contained the H1N1 virus even as the residents of Alendu village in Nyando constituency anxiously await the results of the tests carried out on the pupils at local schools.
"The delay has been occasioned by the large number of samples we took and this may take time to test," said Dr Jackson Kioko, Nyanza's director of public health.
He said the situation was under control with the 34 British nationals isolated in a Kisumu hotel receiving their last doses of the antiviral Tamiflu medication.
The students were due to travel to Nairobi yesterday but Dr Kioko said that they would be doing so this (Sunday) morning.
"We examined the students yesterday and none of them showed symptoms of the flu," Dr Kioko said.
Meanwhile, Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka has asked Kenyans and foreign visitors to ignore the alarm raised by the reports of swine flu and visit various tourist attractions in the country "normally".
The Vice President spoke on Friday night at the residence of the Ambassador of the Czech Republic Mrs Margita Fuchsova.
"Health authorities have indicated that this a mild flu so people should not fear. Go about your activities normally" he said.
Reported by ISSA HUSSEIN, WALTER MENYA, KNA and VPPS.
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