OMM Newsroom
Kenya has recorded its second death from Ebola as it manages its first outbreak of the disease, according to the BBC.
The 65-year-old woman was a close family member of the first victim, a man who had travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo). She developed symptoms on 13 October while in quarantine, the health ministry said.
Seven other patients were receiving treatment at two isolation facilities. The cases are part of “one cluster, with no evidence of community spread”, the ministry said.
The first victim died on 5 October. He had fallen ill in September and was treated at several hospitals in DR Congo before travelling to Nairobi, where he died a few days later.
The patients still being treated include three other relatives of the first victim, three health workers and a hospital cleaner.
More than 4,000 people have died in Africa since Ebola was confirmed in DR Congo in May, making it the disease’s second-deadliest outbreak. DR Congo has recorded more than 9,500 cases.
The US has warned its citizens against travelling to Kenya. Uganda, Ethiopia and Somalia, which neighbour Kenya, are also on alert.
Ebola is a rare but deadly viral disease. As it progresses, vomiting and diarrhoea can develop, and the illness can lead to organ failure. Some patients experience internal and external bleeding, while others do not. The virus spreads through contact with infected bodily fluids, including blood or vomit.
The Bundibugyo species of Ebola is relatively rare and has no approved vaccine or treatment, although trials are under way.
The International Rescue Committee, which has been working with the governments of Kenya and DR Congo to contain the disease, said Kenya faces a continuing risk of new cases arriving across its borders.
Kenya has introduced enhanced screening for travellers arriving from DR Congo and nine other countries it considers high risk: Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Angola, Zambia, Ethiopia, South Sudan and the Central African Republic.
Travellers from those countries must complete a digital surveillance form before boarding their flights and show a QR code to port health officials on arrival. Kenya has also ordered enhanced public health screening of aircraft arriving from the countries.
The government is sharing public information about Ebola, encouraging people to report suspected cases promptly and seek hospital care. It has also promoted hygiene and safety measures, including handwashing and avoiding close contact with sick people.
Nigeria’s health minister, Ali Pate, said the country’s single confirmed Ebola case appeared to be genetically related to a strain identified earlier in Kenya. He said there was no evidence so far that the Kenyan patient had travelled to Nigeria, and that further testing was under way.
“We are conducting additional tests. Some of the results are negative, while others are pending,” Pate said, emphasising that Nigeria had so far recorded only one confirmed case.
Health officials are investigating whether Nigeria’s first case crossed paths with Kenya’s first patient. Both are believed to have travelled through Uganda’s Entebbe International Airport earlier this month.
