Kenya Rules Out Ebola in Woman’s Death

Posted December 23rd, 2011 at 11:55 am (UTC-5)
Leave a comment

The Kenyan government has ruled out Ebola in the death of a woman in Nairobi, calming fears around the country about the highly-contagious virus.

During a press conference on Friday, public health director Dr. Shanaz Shariff said medical tests showed the woman did not die from the Ebola virus or any viral hemorrhagic fever.

Doctors say 29-year-old Gladys Muthoni was bleeding from the nose, ears and mouth when she arrived at Kenyatta National Hospital in a taxi on Thursday morning. She died shortly after.

The Ebola virus causes a hemorrhagic fever with symptoms similar to those the woman appeared to have.

The health director said the patient was actually bleeding from her stomach, perhaps because of an ulcer or a similar ailment.

The case prompted Kenya's largest referral hospital to be put on high alert and three people to be placed in isolation.

The Ebola virus has a mortality rate of up to 90 percent.