Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has confirmed that 108 people are in quarantine following Kenya’s first imported Ebola case, with none developing symptoms so far.
In an update issued on Sunday, October 11, Duale said health authorities had identified 122 people who came into contact with the patient before his death.
“All 122 contacts of the case have been listed and verified. 108 (88.5%) are in quarantine and being monitored daily and none have developed any symptoms thus far,” he said.
The Ministry of Health is continuing to trace the remaining contacts as it steps up surveillance to prevent further spread of the disease.
Duale also confirmed that Kenya had not recorded another Ebola case since the first infection was announced on October 6.
“No new case has been recorded,” he said.
The first case involved a Kenyan man who had been living in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for seven years before travelling through Uganda to Nairobi.
He arrived in Kenya on October 3 and was admitted to Nairobi Hospital, where he was isolated after developing symptoms associated with the disease.
Laboratory tests confirmed that he had contracted the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola. He died on October 5 while receiving treatment.
Health officials launched contact tracing after confirming the infection, targeting people who may have been exposed during the patient’s journey and treatment.
The government has also intensified screening at points of entry and increased laboratory testing as part of efforts to detect any possible infections early.
According to the Ministry of Health, 293 samples had been tested by Sunday, with only the initial case returning a positive result.
The government has also screened more than 667,000 travellers at 26 points of entry as part of the response.
Public Health and Professional Standards Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni said Kenya had not experienced an Ebola outbreak, maintaining that authorities were responding to a single imported case.
She said health teams were monitoring people who had come into contact with the patient while strengthening surveillance at official and unofficial border crossing points.
Muthoni urged Kenyans to remain calm and avoid spreading unverified information about the disease.
Ebola spreads through direct contact with the blood or other body fluids of an infected person who is showing symptoms, or contaminated materials.
People identified as contacts are monitored for 21 days after their last possible exposure. Health authorities have urged anyone who develops symptoms after possible exposure to seek immediate medical attention.
The government says surveillance, testing and contact tracing will continue as it works to prevent further transmission.
