Kenya Confirms Second Ebola Case, Relative of First Patient
Health Ministry states the second patient was identified as a close relative of the first confirmed case, who died after traveling from Congo.
Kenya's Health Ministry confirmed the country's second Ebola case on Wednesday, reporting that a relative of the first patient, who died two days after arriving from Congo, tested positive while in quarantine.
The 39-year-old second patient was identified as a close relative of Kenya's first Ebola case and began exhibiting symptoms on Tuesday, according to the ministry.
The first patient, a 40-year-old Kenyan national, had been living in Congo, where he became ill and received treatment at two health facilities. He traveled through three Ebola-affected provinces before departing the country and arriving in neighboring Uganda on Oct. 1. From Uganda, he flew to Kenya, where a relative met him at the airport and transported him to a hospital. He began receiving treatment and tested positive for Ebola on Oct. 5, the same day he died.
Health officials identified approximately 128 contacts linked to the first case, placing 108 of them in quarantine. The ministry stated that five of these contacts are outside Kenya, and authorities in those countries have been notified.
The second confirmed patient was among those in quarantine. The health ministry noted that early detection of the infection "improves his chances of recovery."
Officials have stated that the two cases are linked and that there is "no evidence of spread in the community."
Kenya has intensified screening measures at its border crossings and airports since the detection of its first Ebola case. The public has been urged to take precautions and report any suspected infections via an emergency hotline.