Kenya has confirmed a second case of Ebola, following the first reported case about a week ago. The initial case involved a citizen who had traveled from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to Kenya and died two days after arriving at a hospital in Nairobi. The second patient, a 39-year-old man and close relative of the first case, began showing symptoms including fever, fatigue, and joint pain on Tuesday while already in quarantine, according to a statement from the Ministry of Health on Wednesday.
The first case raised concerns regarding the effectiveness of border screening systems in the region, as the patient had driven from the DRC to Uganda before flying to Nairobi. The border between the DRC and Uganda has been closed since May due to the Ebola outbreak, leading to questions about how the individual was able to enter Kenya. Alan Kasujja, the executive director of the Ugandan government’s media center, emphasized that Uganda should not be implicated, stating, "Leave Uganda out of this conversation. We don’t have Ebola here," in a post on X.
In response to inquiries about the patient's travel through multiple countries without detection, Kenya’s Director-General for Health, Patrick Amoth, indicated that a meeting was planned with officials from the DRC, Uganda, and the Africa CDC to investigate the matter.
Since the first case was reported, Kenya has ramped up its national response to Ebola, tracing contacts of the infected individual. Health Minister Aden Duale noted that at least 57 people were identified, with 10 placed in immediate quarantine as of October 7.
Kenya is now the fourth country to report a case linked to the ongoing Ebola epidemic in the DRC, which is the second-largest outbreak on record, having recorded over 9,000 cases and more than 4,000 deaths. Earlier this year, Uganda reported 20 cases and two deaths but was declared Ebola-free in August. A doctor returning to France from the DRC in June tested positive for the virus, but no further spread occurred.
Ebola is transmitted through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected individuals, whether living or deceased, and can result in symptoms such as fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and severe cases may lead to internal and external bleeding. The second patient is currently receiving care at a designated treatment center, and the Health Ministry has committed to providing updates on his condition.