Kenya Confirms Eighth Ebola Case as Regional Outbreak Intensifies

Kenyan health authorities have confirmed an eighth case of Ebola, bringing the total number of known infections in the East African nation to eight. Patrick Amoth, Director-General for Health, informed Kenya’s Citizen TV that one individual tested positive out of 38 people tested on Sunday. The newly confirmed case is a 49-year-old man, not a healthcare worker, who presented with symptoms including fever, headache, and muscle pain. According to Amoth, the man worked as a patient attendant, responsible for cleaning utensils and linens, and was likely exposed to Kenya’s first Ebola case, identified earlier this month. A Ministry of Health source indicated that the man developed symptoms on Saturday, was subsequently quarantined, and tested for the virus. The ministry had reported four new cases on Saturday, three of whom were healthcare workers who had attended to the country’s first Ebola patient. This initial patient, who had traveled from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to Nairobi, died at a Nairobi hospital on October 5. The ministry also stated via an X post that the fourth individual reported on Saturday was related to the deceased patient.

Kenya has been on high alert due to the Ebola outbreak spreading across the border from the DRC. The current outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, for which there is no vaccine or specific treatment. The DRC has experienced its deadliest outbreak in history, beginning in May, with at least 9,400 cases and over 4,500 deaths. Ituri province in eastern DRC remains the epicenter, accounting for nearly three-quarters of confirmed cases. On Sunday, authorities announced that the virus had reached an eighth province, North Ubangi. The state-run news agency ACP reported that authorities in North Kivu province, where the World Health Organization notes substantial transmission continues, are implementing a one-week ban starting Monday on people entering the province from Ituri in an effort to curb the spread. Additional measures include restrictions on passenger numbers in vehicles and on motorbikes, as well as the suspension of large public gatherings. Neighboring Uganda had previously recorded 20 confirmed cases, including 15 imported from the DRC, and two deaths, before being declared Ebola-free in August.