Kenya has confirmed an eighth case of Ebola, as the outbreak that began in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continues to spread and neighbouring countries step up their defences.
Director-General for Health Patrick Amoth told Citizen TV that one of 38 people tested on Sunday returned a positive result. The patient is a 49-year-old man who is not a healthcare worker. He worked as a patient attendant, cleaning utensils and linens, and developed fever, headache and muscle pain on Saturday. Mr Amoth said he was likely exposed to Kenya's first case, a man who travelled from the DRC to Nairobi and died in a Nairobi hospital on October 5. The man was quarantined and then tested.
The new case follows four others announced on Saturday, which brought the national total to seven, including one death. Three of those four were health workers who had treated the first patient; the fourth was a relative. Africa CDC, the African Union's public health agency, said all four were already in quarantine when detected and are receiving supportive care. Kenyan authorities say 128 of 130 identified contacts, or 98.5 per cent, have been traced and quarantined, and that there is no evidence of community transmission so far. Africa CDC praised the response and pointed to the risks health workers face.
The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, for which there is no vaccine or specific treatment. In the DRC, at least 9,400 cases and more than 4,500 deaths have been recorded since May, making it the deadliest outbreak in the country's history. Ituri province in the east remains the epicentre, with almost three quarters of confirmed cases, and the virus has now reached an eighth province, North Ubangi. In neighbouring North Kivu, where the World Health Organization (WHO) says substantial transmission continues, authorities will ban entry from Ituri for one week from Monday, limit passengers in cars and on motorbikes, and suspend large public gatherings. Uganda recorded 20 confirmed cases and two deaths before it was declared Ebola-free in August.
The effects extend beyond physical illness. In Bunia, the main city of Ituri, health workers and aid groups describe a mental health toll, with survivors and bereaved families facing isolation and stigma. One woman who lost five relatives said neighbours fear coming near her family. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) says Ebola adds to the strain on communities already weakened by years of armed conflict and displacement in eastern Congo.
The WHO is meanwhile strengthening preparedness in its Eastern Mediterranean region, which covers 22 countries and territories. Djibouti, Somalia and Sudan are priorities. No cases have been reported there, but the WHO says conflict, displacement and overstretched health systems leave gaps in early detection, laboratory confirmation and protective equipment. Together, these developments show how quickly the outbreak is testing health systems well beyond its origin.