NAIROBI, Kenya – Kenyans placed under quarantine following exposure to the country’s first imported Ebola case are expected to begin returning home on Sunday, October 25, after completing 21 days of monitoring without developing symptoms.
The Ministry of Health said Thursday that all 135 contacts linked to the outbreak had been traced, marking a significant step in efforts to contain the Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak without further spread into the community.
Director General for Health Dr Patrick Amoth said 14 samples collected from suspected cases across the country over the preceding 24 hours had tested negative, leaving Kenya’s confirmed case count unchanged at nine.
The first contacts to leave quarantine will be those who have completed their individual 21-day monitoring periods and remain in good health.
The ministry urged communities, employers and neighbours to welcome them back, stressing that people who complete monitoring without developing the disease do not pose an infection risk.
Eight patients remain under treatment
While the contact-tracing exercise has reached completion, eight patients are still receiving treatment in designated isolation facilities.
Amoth said the patients, comprising four family members and four healthcare workers who attended to the initial patient, were stable and responding well to treatment.
The outbreak has claimed one life: the index patient, whose infection was confirmed in early October after he travelled to Kenya from the Democratic Republic of the Congo through Uganda.
All nine confirmed infections have been linked to the same cluster, with the ministry reporting no evidence of transmission beyond the group.
Ministry rules out transmission inside quarantine facilities
Health officials have also sought to address concerns about whether the virus spread among people being monitored in quarantine.
According to Amoth, epidemiological investigations established that the eight subsequent patients had close contact with the first case between October 3 and October 5, before entering quarantine.
Their symptoms developed within Ebola’s recognised incubation period of two to 21 days, a pattern the ministry said was consistent with infection from the index patient.
The investigations have found no evidence that infections occurred inside quarantine facilities, where infection prevention and control measures have been strengthened.
The ministry said each contact’s monitoring period is calculated from their last exposure. Anyone exposed to a subsequently confirmed case must be monitored for 21 days from that later exposure.
More than 709,000 travellers screened
Kenya is continuing enhanced surveillance at health facilities, in communities and at points of entry as authorities seek to detect any additional infections early.
The Ministry of Health said 709,093 travellers had been screened at points of entry since the response began, including 3,107 in the latest 24-hour reporting period.
A total of 461 samples had been tested since the outbreak response began in May 2026.
The latest negative results provide further reassurance, although health teams will continue testing suspected cases and monitoring contacts until the required follow-up periods are completed.
The World Health Organization has previously commended Kenya’s response, noting that identifying infected contacts while they were already in quarantine helped limit the risk of wider transmission.
No travel or trade restrictions
The government has maintained that daily life should continue normally, with no restrictions imposed on travel, trade or public gatherings.
The ministry urged anyone experiencing symptoms such as fever, unusual tiredness, muscle or joint pain, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhoea or unexplained bleeding to seek medical attention immediately.
Members of the public can call the Ministry of Health’s toll-free number, 719, or contact its Jali WhatsApp chatbot on 0700 719 719 for guidance.
Amoth also appealed to Kenyans to avoid stigmatising patients, their relatives, healthcare workers or people who have completed quarantine.
The government says the priority remains identifying any remaining infections, supporting patients through treatment and ensuring that contacts complete their monitoring periods safely.
The first group’s expected return home on Sunday will mark an important milestone in the response, although authorities will continue surveillance and follow-up as the outbreak investigation progresses.
