Ebola Outbreak: Kenya Confirms Second Death in Family Cluster
A 65-year-old woman in quarantine died from the Bundibugyo strain, which has no approved cure, as regional death tolls rise.
By Yasmin Duda ·
Kenya has recorded a second death from Ebola, a disease the country has not previously experienced in an outbreak. The patient, a 65-year-old woman, died after developing symptoms on October 13 while in quarantine. She was a close relative of the first confirmed victim, a man who had traveled from the Democratic Republic of Congo. The health ministry noted that the first patient fell ill in September, received treatment in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and died in Nairobi shortly after arriving in the capital.
Seven other individuals are currently receiving care at two isolation facilities. This group includes three other relatives of the first victim, three health workers, and one hospital cleaner. Ministry officials state that all current cases belong to a single cluster. They reported no evidence of community spread beyond this group.
The outbreak is occurring against a backdrop of a much larger epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo. More than 4,000 people have died in Africa since the disease was confirmed there in May. That toll makes it the second most deadly outbreak of the disease on record, with over 9,500 cases reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The strain involved is the Bundibugyo species, which is relatively rare. No approved vaccine or treatment exists for this specific strain, though clinical trials are under way.
Kenya has implemented enhanced screening for travelers arriving from the Democratic Republic of Congo and nine other high-risk countries. These countries include Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Angola, Zambia, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic. Passengers from these nations must complete a digital surveillance form and present a QR code to port health officials upon landing. Aircraft from these destinations are also subject to additional public health screening.
The United States has issued a warning advising its citizens against traveling to Kenya. Neighboring nations Uganda, Ethiopia, and Somalia are on alert. Uganda's health ministry announced on Friday that travelers who have visited the Democratic Republic of Congo will no longer be permitted to transit through the country. This measure is part of broader prevention efforts to limit the spread of the virus across regional borders.
Nigeria's health minister, Prof Ali Pate, stated that the country's only confirmed Ebola case appears genetically related to the strain identified in Kenya. He said there is no evidence that the Kenyan patient traveled to Nigeria. Officials are examining whether the two initial patients crossed paths, as both are believed to have traveled through Uganda's Entebbe airport earlier this month. Further testing is under way to determine the genetic link.
Source: BBC News
