Kenya discharges last Ebola patient, starting 42-day countdown

Kenya discharged its last Ebola patient on 11 November, starting a 42-day countdown to being declared Ebola-free, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale announced. The countdown ends on 23 December. Duale said 42 days is twice the longest incubation period of the disease.

On 6 November, the Ministry of Health said a sixth patient had been discharged and one remained in treatment. It said the countdown would start when the last patient left the treatment centre free of the virus, and that Kenya would be declared Ebola-free only if no new infection was reported during the 42 days. The outbreak has not yet been declared over.

Kenya confirmed nine cases in October, the Associated Press (AP) reported. The first patient travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) through Uganda and infected four family members and four health workers. He and his mother died; the other seven recovered. Citizen Digital reported that five were discharged on 3 November, the sixth on 6 November and the last on the day of the announcement.

Authorities identified 135 contacts of the first patient. Duale said "7 patients have recovered" and all contacts "have completed their follow-up monitoring," as quoted by Citizen Digital. The Ministry said all confirmed cases were linked to the first patient's contact list, which points to no community transmission.

The Ministry said Kenya remains open, with no restrictions on travel, trade or public gatherings. Emergency operations centres and rapid response teams stay on alert nationwide, and Duale said prevention measures will continue.

At Kenya's main airport, passengers from 10 countries that have reported Ebola cases or that border countries with active cases use a designated gate, where they are screened with thermal technology, AP reported. All new arrivals fill in a health declaration form.

Saudi Arabia announced an indefinite suspension of visas on 30 October. The decision affected hundreds of Kenyan workers travelling to the Gulf for jobs, particularly domestic and hotel workers. The Ministry has asked Saudi Arabia to reconsider, explaining that Kenya's first Ebola case was imported.