Eighth Ebola case confirmed in Kenya, outbreak expands in DRC

Kenyan authorities announced that a 49-year-old man held in quarantine has tested positive for Ebola, bringing the country's total number of cases to eight. Meanwhile, the ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has spread to a new province.

Patrick Amoth, Principal Secretary in Kenya's Ministry of Health, reported that the 49-year-old man, who had cared for the first Ebola patient, has been in quarantine since October 9. It was noted that 38 tests were conducted on the individual, who showed symptoms of fever, high body temperature, headache, and muscle pain, and one result came back positive. The first Ebola-related death in the country occurred on October 5 with the death of a person returning from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The other seven cases consist of relatives of the first patient or healthcare workers who treated him, and their conditions are stated to be stable. The ministry announced that the quarantine process for 128 contacts of the first patient is ongoing. While no travel, trade, or mass gathering restrictions are implemented in the country within the framework of World Health Organization recommendations, neighboring Tanzania has increased border screenings and introduced a 21-day monitoring period and mandatory health declaration for those arriving from high-risk regions.

The outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has reached Nord-Ubangi province. Two new cases, one resulting in death, were reported over the weekend in this region on the border with the Central African Republic. Officials stated that a total of 9,455 cases and 4,561 deaths have been recorded so far, pointing to this picture as the fastest-spreading Ebola outbreak in history. Mohamed Yakub Janabi, WHO Regional Director for Africa, emphasized that convincing infected individuals to seek medical help is one of the biggest challenges. It was stated that the outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus.