Second Patient Was Already in Quarantine
Kenya’s Ministry of Health has confirmed a second Ebola infection, involving a 39-year-old close relative of the country’s first reported patient.
The man developed fever, fatigue and joint pain while already in quarantine, according to the ministry. He was transferred to a designated treatment centre for care. Health authorities said he had been monitored because of his contact with the first patient.
Authorities Expand Contact Tracing
The first case involved a Kenyan who had lived in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), travelled through Uganda and arrived in Nairobi, where he died at a hospital two days later. The case raised questions about how the patient travelled across borders during an outbreak.
Kenya began contact tracing after the first infection. Health Minister Aden Duale said authorities had identified 57 contacts, with 10 initially placed in quarantine. Officials have also stepped up screening and coordination with counterparts in the DRC and Uganda and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
The second confirmed infection has increased concern about possible cross-border spread, although the reported cases were linked to known contacts. The ministry said it would continue monitoring the patient and tracing people who may have been exposed.
