Kenya’s Health Ministry confirmed the country’s second Ebola-related death on Friday, reporting that a 65-year-old woman who was a close relative of the first patient succumbed to the disease after developing symptoms while in quarantine.
Second Death Linked to Initial Case
The woman began showing symptoms ten days ago and was admitted to an infectious disease unit in Nairobi for supportive care. Despite the efforts of medical personnel, she passed away Friday evening, according to the ministry.
The ministry stated that “medical personnel did everything possible to save her life” and confirmed that her family had been notified. Arrangements for a safe and dignified burial are underway in consultation with relatives, following standard protocols for handling Ebola cases.
The remaining seven Ebola patients continue to receive treatment at two isolation facilities across the country. No new infections have been reported in connection with these cases, suggesting that containment measures may be holding steady.
Contact Tracing Expands
Kenya recorded its first-ever Ebola case on October 6 involving a 40-year-old man who had traveled from Congo through Uganda, arriving in Kenya on October 3. He was taken to Nairobi Hospital by a relative, tested positive for Ebola on October 5, and died the same day.
Health authorities have identified approximately 135 contacts linked to the initial patient, with 118 currently under quarantine. Of those monitored, eight individuals tested positive for Ebola while in quarantine, including four healthcare workers and four close family members.
The ministry announced that contacts who complete the 21-day quarantine period without developing symptoms will begin being released starting Saturday, marking a potential turning point in the local response to the outbreak.
Regional Cases Under Investigation
In neighboring Nigeria, officials reported that they had not yet verified how the country’s first Ebola patient contracted the virus. The woman tested positive upon returning to Abuja from Uganda, though she had not visited Congo.
Switzerland’s Federal Department of Foreign Affairs told The Associated Press that the patient, who is married to a Swiss diplomat, is believed to have contracted the virus while traveling to Uganda. Her husband has remained asymptomatic and is still in isolation.
Nigeria’s health minister, Muhammad Pate, noted that the infection pattern in Nigeria appears similar to the first case in Kenya, suggesting possible common routes of transmission through Uganda’s Entebbe International Airport on October 3.
Ebola spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids such as blood and vomit, as well as contaminated surfaces and materials like bedding and clothing. The ongoing outbreak in Congo has resulted in at least 4,000 deaths since May, making it the deadliest recorded epidemic in the region.