Kenya confirms second Ebola case

A 39-year-old relative of the first patient has tested positive while in quarantine, according to the Health Ministry

Kenya has confirmed a second case of Ebola, with a family member of the country’s first patient testing positive for the virus, the Health Ministry announced on Wednesday. The latest infection brings the total number of confirmed cases to two, including one death.

The new patient, a 39-year-old man, had already been placed in quarantine after being identified as a close contact of the first case. He developed symptoms on Tuesday, including fever, fatigue and joint pain, and was subsequently tested for the virus. The man has been transferred to a designated treatment facility, where he is receiving supportive care.

Health authorities said the two cases are linked and there is currently no evidence that the virus has spread into the wider community.

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Kenya confirmed its first Ebola case last week after a man who had lived in DR Congo for seven years died at a Nairobi hospital. According to Health Minister Aden Duale, the patient had fallen ill about a month earlier and traveled through Uganda before flying to Nairobi on October 3, where he was hospitalized and later tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain of the virus.

The ministry has identified 128 people who came into contact with the first patient, of whom 113 had been traced as of Tuesday. Among them, 108 are undergoing quarantine in Kenya, with daily health checks over a 21-day period. Another five contacts are outside the country.

Kenya has also banned the repatriation of bodies of people who died from Ebola abroad under new public health regulations introduced on Monday. The rules also impose strict requirements for handling and burying the bodies of Ebola victims to prevent further transmission of the virus.

READ MORE: Kenya confirms first Ebola case after patient dies

An Ebola outbreak in DR Congo that began in May shows no signs of abating. According to the latest figures from the Congolese Health Ministry, 9,144 infections and 4,410 deaths had been recorded as of October 12, with the virus spreading across seven provinces. The northeastern province of Ituri remains the epicenter, accounting for nearly three-quarters of all confirmed cases.