Kenya records no new Ebola case since 6 October; 108 of 122 contacts quarantined

Kenya has recorded no new Ebola case since the first one was confirmed on 6 October, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said in a statement on 11 October, as quoted by People Daily.

The Ministry of Health has tested 293 samples after 289 alerts, and only the first patient's result was positive. Reuters, in a report published on 12 October and carried by CNBC Africa, gave the same figures.

The first patient was a Kenyan who had travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) through Uganda. He died in Nairobi on 5 October, and the case was announced on 6 October. A Reuters photo caption names the Bundibugyo species of Ebola.

On 7 October, Public Health and Professional Standards Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni Muriuki said travellers from 10 African countries would be processed through Gate 16 at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA). The countries are the DRC, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Angola, the Central African Republic, Zambia and Tanzania; passengers would undergo mandatory health screening and fill in a declaration form before being allowed through the airport. Fica News reported on 8 October that the ministry put the number of contacts at 57: Kenya routes arrivals from 10 African countries via JKIA Gate 16; Ebola contacts rise to 57.

The 11 October statement puts the list at 122 contacts, all identified and verified. Of these, 108 (88.5 per cent) are in quarantine and monitored daily, and none has developed symptoms. Tracing of the remaining contacts continues, with help from international partners where needed.

Surveillance at the border has continued: 667,675 travellers have been screened at 26 points of entry, including 2,345 in the previous 24 hours. Five laboratories are testing for Ebola, and designated hospitals have 241 isolation beds.

Duale said there are no restrictions on travel, trade, transport or public gatherings, and that no lockdown is in place, in line with advice from the World Health Organization (WHO). Ebola spreads through direct contact with the blood or body fluids of an infected person, not through the air.

The ministry urged the public to "stay calm but vigilant" and asked anyone with symptoms or a suspected exposure to seek medical attention. Its toll-free hotline for guidance is 719.

Reuters said Kenya is the fourth country to record a case linked to the outbreak in eastern Congo, which it described as the second-largest on record, with more than 8,000 cases.