Kenya has recorded its second death from Ebola, with a 65-year-old woman dying while in quarantine after contracting the virus from a close family member, the BBC reports, citing the Kenyan health ministry.
According to the BBC, the woman was a close relative of the first victim, a man who travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) and died in Nairobi on October 5.
The woman developed symptoms on October 13 while under quarantine, the health ministry said, according to the BBC.
Seven other patients were receiving treatment at two isolation facilities, bringing the reported number of cases to eight. The ministry said all cases belonged to one cluster, with no evidence of community transmission.
Those receiving treatment include three relatives of the first victim, three health workers and a hospital cleaner.
The BBC reports that Kenyan authorities have strengthened screening at border crossings and airports to prevent further infections.
Travellers arriving from DR Congo and nine other countries considered at high risk, including South Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Angola, Zambia, Ethiopia and the Central African Republic, are subject to enhanced screening measures.
According to the BBC, travellers from those countries must complete a digital surveillance form before boarding their flights and present a QR code to port health officials upon arrival.
Authorities have also urged the public to report suspected cases promptly, seek medical attention and observe recommended hygiene measures.
Ebola is a severe viral disease that spreads through direct contact with the blood or other bodily fluids of an infected person. Symptoms may include fever, vomiting and diarrhoea, while severe cases can lead to organ failure and bleeding.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s health minister, Professor Ali Pate, said the country’s single confirmed Ebola case appeared genetically related to a strain previously identified in Kenya, the BBC reports.
Pate said there was no evidence so far that the Kenyan patient had travelled to Nigeria, adding that further tests were being conducted to establish the connection.
“We are conducting additional tests. Some of the results are negative, while others are pending,” he said, according to the BBC.
Health officials are investigating whether Nigeria’s first confirmed case had contact with Kenya’s first patient. Both are believed to have travelled through Entebbe International Airport in Uganda earlier this month, the BBC reported.
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