OMM Newsroom
Kenya has discharged its last Ebola patient, the seventh person to recover from the virus, marking a key step in efforts to contain the outbreak. The country now begins a 42-day countdown to being officially declared Ebola-free, according to BBC World.
Kenya confirmed its first-ever Ebola case in early October, after a businessman died within days of arriving in Nairobi. He had contracted the virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), where more than 5,000 people have died in an outbreak that began in May. His mother later died as well.
Health Minister Aden Duale said 135 identified contacts of infected patients had completed their 21 days in isolation. “With the discharge of the last patient, we can confirm and tell the world that seven patients have recovered — and all contacts have completed their follow-up monitoring,” he said.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention described the discharge as an important achievement in the regional response. Its head, Jean Kaseya, said on X: “This is an encouraging moment for Kenya and for Africa. We must sustain surveillance and vigilance until the outbreak is officially declared over.”
Kenya has reported no new confirmed cases since 20 October. All cases in the country were linked to the man who travelled from DR Congo through Uganda, and health officials have reported no evidence of wider community transmission. Four of those who recovered were healthcare workers.
Five patients were discharged on 3 November, a sixth three days later, and the final patient on Wednesday. Under World Health Organization guidelines, 42 days must pass after the last patient tests negative and is discharged, or after the last Ebola victim is safely buried, before an outbreak can be declared over.
Kenya maintains surveillance and screening
Ebola spreads through contact with infected bodily fluids, including blood or vomit. Its incubation period ranges from two to 21 days, so people exposed to the virus may not become ill for several weeks.
Duale said the government would maintain heightened surveillance at border crossings, airports, health facilities and in communities throughout the countdown. Emergency response teams will remain on alert, and health authorities will continue monitoring travellers arriving from affected countries.
Kenyans returning from Ebola-affected areas must submit electronic health declarations before travelling, undergo screening on arrival and spend 21 days in quarantine under the supervision of health teams.
The minister urged countries that had introduced travel and visa restrictions to reconsider them, saying Kenya had no intention of serving as a quarantine centre for another country. In May, a Kenyan court suspended US plans to open an Ebola quarantine facility for American citizens.
Kenya has said there is no need to restrict domestic travel, trade or public gatherings. The outbreak has nonetheless disrupted international travel, with some Gulf countries imposing restrictions affecting travellers from Kenya and other African countries.
Visa measures affect Kenyan and Ugandan travellers
Saudi Arabia stopped issuing visas to Kenyan nationals in late October, raising concerns among people seeking employment there.
The United Arab Emirates has announced it is lifting its suspension on new visas for Ugandan nationals, easing restrictions introduced in June. Ugandans will still have to spend at least 21 days outside Uganda before travelling to the UAE. The country is also allowing certain students, diplomatic passport holders and Ugandan embassy employees to enter under approved health procedures.
Uganda, which shares a long and busy border with DR Congo, was among the countries first affected by the outbreak and declared its own Ebola outbreak over on 27 August.
The current outbreak in DR Congo is caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, which is relatively rare. There is no approved vaccine or treatment for it, although trials are under way.
