Business Daily (Nairobi)
Beatrice Gachenge
3 July 2009
Tourism sector players are upbeat the high season will not be affected by the detection of swine flu in the country.
The Kenya Tourist Board chairman, Mr Jakes Grieves-Cook, said the detection of one case in Kisumu was unlikely to be a setback on tourist arrivals.
He said the challenge "we are facing is lack of airline capacity. Airlines are fully booked."
The first case of the H1N1 flu was confirmed when a British student was diagnosed with the disease in the lakeside town of Kisumu.
Health experts are on high alert following the case and were on Wednesday monitoring another patient at the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) suspected of having the virus.
Reports of disasters, disease outbreaks or political turmoil have in the past led to major tourism markets issuing travel advisories asking their nationals to delay travel or cancel bookings.
Many lodges and camps at the Mara have reported full bookings in readiness for the annual wildebeest migration.
Questions have been raised about the country's response and screening of international travellers after 20 British students, one of whom had the virus, passed through the airport.
Kenya Association of Air Operators chief executive, Eutychus Waithaka, said according to international travel guidelines, it was impossible to restrict movement because of the flu.
"Airlines have a mandate to report to airport authorities when they have passengers on board with symptoms associated with swine flu at which point the airport will isolate the travellers for checkup," said Mr Waithaka.
Health officials are on the ground tracking people the students -- who have since been quarantined -- may have come into contact with.
Dr Charles Nzioka, head of disease surveillance and response at the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation, said the incubation period of the disease is two to seven days.
Patients in quarantine take at least seven days before they are allowed back into the public.
Hospitals have now set up isolation rooms as one of the measures to contain the virus that spreads from human to human.
Despite the name, it is not spread from animals to human beings.
Rough patchHealth experts say swine flu is a mild version compared to others.
The business community was concerned the disease had the potential of disrupting country's economic affairs. The tourism sector has been going through a rough patch since last year's post-election violence.
Mr Grieves-Cook said the sector had not slashed prices, despite the biting financial crisis that has seen many cut back on travel budgets.
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