Kenya’s health ministry said on Friday that a second person has died of Ebola, as the outbreak that began in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) reaches several parts of Africa.
The ministry said the victim was a 65-year-old woman who developed symptoms while in quarantine. She was a close relative of a Kenyan man who died of the disease earlier this month. Seven patients are currently being treated at two isolation facilities.
Kenya’s cases and contact tracing
Kenya’s first case was a man who had travelled from the DRC and died at a Nairobi hospital on October 5. Since then, authorities have traced 135 contacts, all of whom have been placed in quarantine.
Also read: Kenya confirms ninth Ebola case as regional spread fears grow
Nine cases have been confirmed so far, including the two patients who died. The ministry said all cases belong to “one cluster, with no evidence of community spread.”
Wider reach of the outbreak across Africa
The DRC declared its 17th Ebola outbreak in May and has since reported more than 9,000 cases and over 4,600 deaths. The disease has killed more than 15,000 people across Africa over the past half century.
The current outbreak has now been recorded in four countries spanning eastern, central and western Africa, the broadest geographic reach of any Ebola outbreak on the continent so far. Nigeria became the fourth African country to report a case on Tuesday.
Nigeria’s Health Minister, Muhammad Ali Pate, said on Friday that an analysis linked the Nigerian case closely to the virus found in Kenya’s index case. Uganda announced on Saturday that travellers with a recent history of travel to the DRC will not be allowed to pass through the country.
Uganda had recorded 20 infections, almost all among people who had travelled from the DRC, and two deaths before it was declared Ebola-free in August.
