Kenya Ebola Cases Rise as DRC Spread Crosses Border

Kenya’s known Ebola infections rose to eight after one of 38 people tested on Sunday returned a positive result, Director-General for Health Patrick Amoth told Kenya’s Citizen TV. The patient, a 49-year-old man, worked as a patient attendant, cleaning utensils and linens; he isn’t a healthcare worker. Health officials said he was likely exposed to Kenya’s first Ebola patient, who travelled from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to Nairobi and died at a Nairobi hospital on October 5.

Cases Cross the Border

The latest patient developed a fever, headache and muscle pain, Amoth said. He developed symptoms on Saturday, was quarantined and tested for the virus, according to a Ministry of Health source. AllAfrica reported that six other patients in quarantine remained stable after receiving supportive treatment.

Kenya’s Ministry of Health reported four new cases on October 17. Three were health workers who treated the first patient, while the fourth person was related to the deceased patient, the ministry said in a post on X. The outbreak has spread across the border from the DRC, prompting heightened alert in Kenya.

The DRC has reported at least 9,400 cases and more than 4,500 deaths in the outbreak, which began in May. Ituri province in eastern DRC remains the epicentre, accounting for almost three-quarters of confirmed cases, according to the government’s most recent data. On Sunday, the government announced that the virus had reached North Ubangi, also rendered Nord-Ubangi in the AllAfrica report. Two cases, including one death, were recorded near the border with the Central African Republic.

The Bundibugyo strain caused the outbreak. There’s no approved vaccine or specific treatment for that strain, according to the base report.

Screening and Entry Controls

Authorities in North Kivu province were introducing a one-week ban, starting Monday, on people entering from Ituri to slow transmission, state-run news agency ACP reported on Sunday. The World Health Organization said substantial transmission continues in North Kivu. Planned measures there also include limits on passenger numbers in cars and on motorbikes, and suspension of large public gatherings.

Kenya has intensified screening at airports, land borders and other entry points, The Standard reported. Officials have screened more than 665,000 travellers nationwide. At Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, passengers arriving from high-risk countries, including the DRC, Ethiopia and Uganda, undergo additional screening. Health officers use infrared thermometers, review travel histories and require health declarations.

Travel Guidance and Regional Cases

Kenya has no restrictions on travel, trade or public gatherings, Amoth said. “Kenya remains open, with no restrictions on travel, trade or public gatherings. Remain calm, stay vigilant and follow official Ministry of Health updates,” he said. Canada advised its citizens to exercise a high degree of caution when travelling to Kenya, while Malaysia issued a health advisory for its nationals living in or visiting the country.

Uganda recorded 20 confirmed cases, including 15 imported from the DRC, and two deaths before it was declared Ebola-free in August. The report says Ebola spreads through direct contact with the blood or body fluids of an infected person or someone who has died from the disease. It doesn’t spread through the air.