Gatonye Gathura and Mike Mwaniki
3 July 2009
Nairobi — The number of confirmed swine flu cases in Kenya has jumped from one to 12 after 11 more samples tested positive.
A World Health Organisation update on Thursday indicated that Kenya now has 12 laboratory confirmed cases of swine flu but a Public Health ministry statement denied there were any new cases.
Kenya joins South Africa in the league of countries with the highest number of confirmed swine flu cases on the continent -- each having reported 12 cases. The director of public health, Dr Shanaaz Shariff had on Thursday maintained that the only confirmed case was that of the UK student.
According to the WHO update posted on its Africa region website, Kenya has reported 12 laboratory confirmed cases. The update also confirms one case in Uganda of a Briton who travelled through Kenya.
What is not clear is whether the 11 new cases occurred among the 34 Britons or among locals who came into contact with the visitors. Ministry of health officials have been testing samples from pupils in Alendu where the foreign students visited.
On Thursday, Public Health and Sanitation minister Beth Mugo said the samples had tested negative for the H1N1 virus. Samples of the driver of a bus hired by the UK students had also tested negative.
"In the meantime, I urge all Kenyans to uphold high standards of hygiene like frequent washing of hands with soap, covering mouth and nose with disposable tissue when coughing or sneezing, avoiding touching eyes, nose and mouth," she said.
On Thursday, indications were that the new cases could be confined to the UK students because WHO says all cases in Africa, apart from one in Algeria, are imported. H1N1 is notifiable to WHO, hence Kenya must notify the world body of any new development.
Meanwhile, the Nottingham University students will find a dramatically changed landscape when they get home as the Nottingham area has been declared a flu hotspot and the country has moved from trying to contain it to treatment.
This means the disease has moved from the phase where it can be contained to a level where treatment is the only option. The rapid spread of the disease coincides with reports of a second case, this time in Japan of resistance against the drug used to relieve symptoms.
On Tuesday, Danish authorities announced they had discovered resistance to Tamiflu in a female patient who was later put on another drug, Relenza.
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