Kenya Confirms Second Ebola Case as WHO Steps Up Containment Efforts

Kenya has confirmed a second case of Ebola caused by the Bundibugyo virus, prompting intensified contact tracing and monitoring as health authorities seek to prevent the disease from spreading in the community.

The patient, a 39-year-old man who is a relative of the country’s first confirmed case, developed symptoms on October 13 while under quarantine, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Kenya’s first patient, a man who had been living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), died in hospital on October 5.

The first patient arrived in Nairobi via Uganda on October 3, triggering efforts to trace people who may have been exposed to the virus during his journey and subsequent hospital care.

More than 40 contacts have been identified, including airline passengers and crew, airport workers, baggage handlers, immigration officials, healthcare personnel and family members. Most are in quarantine, while a small number of contacts assessed as low risk are self-quarantining and being monitored. Authorities are also trying to locate six passengers who have been difficult to reach because they use foreign phone numbers.

“We all have a role to play,” said Neema Rusibamayila Kimambo, WHO’s representative in Kenya, urging the public to follow health guidance and seek medical care promptly if symptoms develop.

WHO has deployed additional expertise to support Kenya’s response, including a senior incident manager who took part in Uganda’s Ebola response. The agency has also provided about 70,000 US dollars’ worth of infection-prevention and laboratory supplies since the first case was identified.

More than 4,000 health workers have received training, including in screening travellers at points of entry, WHO said.

The outbreak in neighbouring DRC, where the first patient had been living, has prompted regional preparedness measures. Uganda, which also confronted the disease, officially ruled out an outbreak in late August, according to the WHO account.

Kimambo said travel restrictions and border closures were not necessary at this stage, but stressed the importance of screening and surveillance. Ebola spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person.

The WHO advised people to maintain hand hygiene, avoid handshakes and seek medical attention quickly if they develop symptoms such as fever, vomiting or diarrhoea.

Kimambo said there was no evidence of community transmission in Kenya at the time of the interview, while urging the public to remain calm and follow infection-prevention guidance.

Source: FSX Business News