Kenyan tourism minister Miano says Ebola case is isolated; WHO advises against travel curbs

Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife, Rebecca Miano, said on 7 October that the ministry considers the country's confirmed Ebola case an isolated one, The Star reported that day.

Miano spoke in Nairobi at the 16th Magical Kenya Travel Expo. "The ministry is well aware of the reported Ebola case, and we have reason to consider it an isolated case," she said, according to The Star. The paper reported that the Ministry of Tourism is working with the Ministry of Health on additional precautions. According to The Star, Miano also said the ministry has established a fully-fledged resilience and crisis management centre for tourism at Kenyatta University.

The Star also reported that health authorities had traced 57 contacts of the confirmed case and that 10 people were in quarantine under close observation. Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale toured the Ebola preparedness facility at Nairobi Hospital, which has a designated bed for Ebola patients and a dedicated patient care area, the paper said.

Tourism Update reported on 7 October that Kenya confirmed a single imported case of Bundibugyo Ebola virus disease on 6 October. The patient fell ill in the Democratic Republic of Congo, travelled through Uganda, arrived in Nairobi on 3 October and died on 5 October, the trade title said.

Tourism Update quoted Virginia Messina, chief executive of the African Travel and Tourism Association (ATTA), as saying that Ebola is not an airborne disease and is transmitted through direct contact with the blood or other bodily fluids of an infected person. She also said Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda remain open to international travellers.

The World Health Organization has advised against travel restrictions. Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a media briefing on Wednesday 7 October, as quoted by Capital FM on 8 October: "WHO advises against blanket travel or trade restrictions, which are less effective than screening, contact tracing and other measures." Tourism Update reported that the WHO's advice covers Kenya, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Capital FM added that Duale discussed the case with Tedros on Tuesday 6 October, and that Tedros commended Kenya for notifying WHO of the case under the International Health Regulations.