NAIROBI, Kenya – Kenya has confirmed a third case of Ebola disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus, with the Ministry of Health reporting that the latest patient is a close relative and primary contact of the first two cases.
The new case involves a 65-year-old woman who has been in quarantine since October 6, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Health on Friday, October 16.
The ministry said the woman developed a fever, sore throat and general malaise while under quarantine, prompting health officials to isolate her and collect samples for testing.
The samples subsequently returned a positive result, after which she was transferred to the Infectious Disease Unit for treatment.
Health Director General Patrick Amoth said the patient was receiving supportive care from trained health workers.
Third Case Detected During Quarantine
The ministry said the woman’s infection was detected while she was already in quarantine because of her close contact with the earlier patients.
Health officials said early detection and appropriate care could improve her chances of recovery while helping reduce the risk of further transmission.
The second patient remains stable and is responding well to supportive care, according to the ministry.
The latest confirmation raises concerns over the possibility of additional infections among people who had contact with the earlier cases.
However, the ministry maintained that the risk to the general public remained low, citing the absence of evidence of community transmission.
127 Contacts Traced And Quarantined
As of Friday, health officials had traced and placed 127 of the 130 identified contacts under quarantine, representing 97.7 per cent of the total.
Efforts were ongoing to locate the remaining three contacts.
The World Health Organization and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention have identified contact tracing as a key measure in containing the spread of infectious diseases by identifying and monitoring people who may have been exposed.
The ministry said further cases could still emerge among quarantined contacts before the end of their monitoring period.
21-Day Monitoring Period Underway
The contacts are being monitored under a 21-day quarantine period that began in the first week of October.
For those traced earliest, the monitoring period is expected to end towards the close of the month, provided they do not develop symptoms or test positive.
The ministry’s surveillance and contact-tracing efforts are aimed at identifying infections early and limiting further transmission.
Although the third case has been confirmed, health officials said there was no evidence of community transmission as of Friday.
The ministry continues to monitor exposed contacts and provide care to confirmed patients as efforts to contain the outbreak continue.
