Kenya’s Health Ministry announced the confirmation of a second Ebola case in the country on Wednesday. The new case involves a 39-year-old man who tested positive for Ebola while in quarantine. He is a close relative of Kenya’s first Ebola patient and started showing symptoms on Tuesday.
The initial patient, a 40-year-old Kenyan who had been residing in Congo, fell ill in the country and sought treatment at two healthcare facilities. After traveling through three Ebola-affected provinces, he left Congo and arrived in Uganda on Oct. 1. Subsequently, he flew to Kenya, where a family member picked him up at the airport and took him to a hospital. He was diagnosed with Ebola on Oct. 5 and unfortunately passed away on the same day.
Following the first case, health authorities identified approximately 128 individuals who had come into contact with the patient, placing 108 of them under quarantine. Five contacts are located outside Kenya, with relevant authorities in those countries being informed by Kenya’s Ministry of Health.
The newly confirmed Ebola patient was one of those under quarantine. The Health Ministry emphasized that early detection of the infection enhances the chances of recovery for the individual. Both cases are connected, and there is no indication of the virus spreading within the community.
In response to these cases, Kenya has heightened screening measures at border points and airports since the initial Ebola diagnosis. The public is advised to take necessary precautions and report any suspected cases through an emergency hotline.