Kenya Confirms Second Ebola Case as 108 Contacts Quarantined
The Ministry of Health has confirmed a second case of Ebola Bundibugyo Virus Disease in the country.
According to the ministry, the individual is a 39-year-old man and a close family member of the first imported case who passed away last week.
The ministry said the latest case was among those in quarantine and fell ill on October 13.
Symptoms and Diagnosis
According to the ministry, the individual, who was under the 21-day mandatory quarantine, developed fever, fatigue, and joint pains.
He was tested at both the National Virology Reference Laboratory and the KEMRI-CDC laboratory, with the results returning positive.
“Kenya has now recorded two confirmed cases and one death,” Ministry of Health Director General Patrick Amoth said on Wednesday, October 14.
The ministry says he is now admitted to a designated treatment centre, where medics are providing supportive care.
Contact Tracing Progress
According to the ministry, it has managed to trace 113 people out of the 128 contacts of the first case. Of these, 108 people are in quarantine in Kenya for 21 days.
The remaining five are outside the country.
Speaking earlier on Wednesday, Wessam Mankoula, Head of Emergency Preparedness at Africa CDC, said Kenya is doing well compared to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), especially on contact tracing.
“For every one case of Ebola, we target to identify well over 60 contacts. This is where we struggle in places like DRC. Without improving on contact tracing, this virus may spread for long,” Mankoula stated.
Ministry Urges Calm
The Ministry of Health has since urged Kenyans to stay calm, stressing that anyone with Ebola-like symptoms should seek medical attention at the earliest convenience.
What This Means for Kenyans
The confirmation of a second case within a quarantined contact group suggests the surveillance system is working as intended. However, health authorities continue to monitor the situation closely, and the public has been urged to cooperate with contact tracing efforts and report any symptoms promptly.