NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 17 — Kenya’s confirmed Ebola cases have risen to seven after four new infections, including three health workers who treated the first patient, were detected among people in quarantine, the Ministry of Health has announced.
The Ministry said the latest cases involved a close male relative of the deceased index patient and three health workers who attended to him in hospital, raising concerns over infections among those involved in the initial response.
However, the Ministry maintained that the risk to the general public remained low, saying all four patients were already in quarantine when they developed symptoms and were diagnosed, with no evidence of community transmission.
“The risk to the general public remains low as there is no evidence of community transmission of the disease,” Director General for Health Dr Patrick Amoth said in a statement issued on Saturday.
The four patients initially developed fever before being isolated and tested. Their samples returned positive results at both the National Virology Reference Laboratory and the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) laboratory.
The three health workers — two men and one woman aged 29, 35 and 32 — had treated the first patient in hospital between October 3 and 4.
They had been in quarantine since October 9 and are now receiving supportive care at a designated treatment facility.
The male relative had been in quarantine since October 6.
The Ministry said the early detection of the infections had helped limit the risk of further transmission to the patients’ families and the wider community while improving their chances of survival.
“The patients are currently receiving supportive care from our trained health workers,” Amoth said, adding that the second and third patients were stable and responding well to treatment.
The latest announcement comes three days after the Ministry confirmed Kenya’s second Ebola case on October 14, involving a 39-year-old close relative of the first patient, who died from the disease.
The man developed fever, fatigue and joint pains while under quarantine and was immediately isolated before testing positive for Bundibugyo virus disease.
Contact tracing continues
Authorities have identified 130 contacts linked to the outbreak, of whom 128, or 98.5 per cent, have been traced and placed in quarantine. Efforts are ongoing to locate the remaining two.
The Ministry said the contact-tracing rate was above the global benchmark of 85 per cent cited in its statement as necessary to help break the chain of transmission.
Health officials are continuing to monitor exposed family members and health workers, while people in quarantine receive medical monitoring and psychosocial support.
The Ministry cautioned that additional infections could still emerge among quarantined contacts before the end of the 21-day monitoring period.
It said anyone who develops symptoms during that period would be detected and treated promptly.
No travel restrictions
Despite the increase in confirmed cases, the government said Kenya remained open for business, with no restrictions imposed on travel, trade or public gatherings.
The Ministry urged Kenyans to remain calm and vigilant, emphasising that Ebola spreads through direct contact with the blood or other body fluids of an infected person who is sick or has died from the disease, rather than through the air.
People experiencing fever, unusual tiredness, muscle or joint pains, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhoea or unexplained bleeding have been advised to report to the nearest health facility immediately.
The public can obtain information through the Ministry’s toll-free number, 719, and its official communication channels.
“Early reporting saves lives,” Amoth said.