Kenya has discharged its final Ebola patient, and a 42-day countdown toward disease-free status has now begun. Health Minister Aden Duale announced the development at a news conference in Nairobi on Wednesday. The announcement came more than five weeks after Kenya logged its first infection on October 6.
Duale added that the country will keep up preventive steps until December 23. The Ministry of Health had earlier said it was confident the outbreak was under control. It noted that all nine confirmed cases were linked to the first patient’s contact list, which pointed to no community transmission. The last case was recorded on October 19.
How the outbreak reached Kenya
The first patient travelled from the Democratic Republic of the Congo through Uganda. He passed the virus on to four family members and four healthcare workers. The first patient and his mother died, while the other seven patients made full recoveries. Authorities identified 135 contacts who had interacted with the first patient.
Also read: DR Congo Ebola Cases Surpass 11,000 as Deaths Reach 5,387
Regional spread and travel restrictions
Infections continue to rise elsewhere in the region. The government of the DRC, the epicentre of the outbreak, said on Wednesday that 11,042 people had been infected and 5,387 had died. The outbreak also reached Uganda and Nigeria through people who had travelled from the DRC. The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain and has been described as one of the worst on record.
Saudi Arabia announced an indefinite suspension of visas on October 30, a move that affected hundreds of Kenyan workers heading to the Gulf, particularly domestic and hotel staff. The Ministry of Health urged Saudi Arabia to reconsider, arguing that the first case was imported and that all later cases were traced to that patient’s contacts. The ministry said every contact had been identified and followed under established outbreak-control guidelines.
Tighter border screening and quarantine rules
Kenya has tightened border controls by assigning one gate at its main airport to passengers from 10 countries that have reported Ebola cases or neighbour countries with active cases. Arrivals are screened with thermal technology and must complete a health declaration form covering their travel and health details. Duale said citizens arriving from the DRC will now face a 21-day quarantine.
