Kenya confirms second Ebola case as health ministry tracks patient contacts

Kenyan health officials have confirmed a second case of Ebola involving a 39-year-old man who is a close relative of the country's first victim.

The Ministry of Health reported that the second patient was already in quarantine when he began showing symptoms on October 13. According to France 24, the man is a family member of the first patient, a 40-year-old Kenyan who died at a Nairobi hospital on October 5. Officials stated the two cases are linked and emphasized there is no evidence the virus has spread into the wider community.

The first patient had recently traveled from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Uganda by road before flying from Entebbe to Nairobi on October 3. Deutsche Welle reported that the Ministry of Health has identified 113 out of 128 people who had contact with him. While most are now in quarantine, five individuals are currently in unspecified countries abroad.

The New York Times noted that this second infection is likely to increase scrutiny of the government's surveillance and containment measures. Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has urged the public to remain vigilant, while some residents expressed disappointment to Deutsche Welle, suggesting authorities were unprepared at the country's entry points.

International monitoring groups are closely watching the situation as Kenya attempts to prevent a wider outbreak. Public anxiety has grown in Nairobi, with some citizens calling for better government communication and awareness campaigns regarding the symptoms of the disease, which can include fever, fatigue, and muscle pain.

Background

The current cases in Kenya are linked to an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has recorded over 9,000 cases and 4,400 deaths. The first Kenyan patient, who died earlier this month, had been living in the DRC before returning home via Uganda.