Kenya Confirms Four New Ebola Cases, Bringing Total to Seven

Kenya has confirmed four new cases of Bundibugyo virus disease, a form of Ebola, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to seven, including the first patient who died, the Ministry of Health said on Saturday.

The new cases involve a close male relative of the deceased patient and three health workers who treated the initial case in hospital. All four had been in quarantine before testing positive and are receiving supportive care at a designated treatment facility.

The three health workers, two men and one woman aged 29, 35 and 32, respectively, attended to the first patient between October 3 and 4. They had been in quarantine since October 9, while the male relative had been quarantined since October 6.

All four developed fever as their first symptom and tested positive at both the National Virology Reference Laboratory and the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), according to the ministry. The second and third patients were reported to be stable and responding well to treatment.

The ministry said the early detection of the new cases had limited the risk of further transmission to families and the wider community. It added that there was no evidence of community transmission and assessed the risk to the general public as low.

Of 130 identified contacts, 128, or 98.5 percent, had been traced and placed in quarantine. Authorities were continuing efforts to locate the remaining two contacts.

The ministry cautioned that further cases could emerge among quarantined contacts during the 21-day monitoring period, but said anyone developing symptoms would be identified and treated promptly.

Health teams are also monitoring four family members of the deceased patient. People in quarantine are receiving mental health and psychosocial support, the ministry said.

Source: FSX Business News