Kenya records sixth Ebola recovery; one patient still in treatment, 42-day countdown not started
Kenya's Ministry of Health said a sixth Ebola patient has recovered and one remains in treatment, so the 42-day countdown to an Ebola-free declaration has not begun, the Kenyan news site Kenyans.co.ke reported on 6 November.
↪ This follows our earlier report: Kenya discharges five Ebola patients; 46 contacts leave quarantine, 52 remain
Kenya has recorded its sixth recovery from Bundibugyo virus disease, and one patient is still being treated, the Ministry of Health said on 6 November. The 42-day countdown to declaring the outbreak over has not started, because it begins only once the last patient leaves the treatment centre free of the virus.
The sixth patient, a man, tested negative and was being discharged on 6 November, Kenyans.co.ke reported. On 3 November the ministry announced that five patients had been discharged and 46 contacts released from quarantine.
Confirmed cases remain at nine, all linked to one known chain of transmission. Two of the nine have died. The first imported case was confirmed on 6 October, and the last confirmed infection was recorded on 19 October. Kenya has gone 18 days without a new infection, and the ministry said there has been no spread in the community.
Forty-two days is twice the longest time the illness takes to appear. If no new infection is reported in that period, Kenya will be declared Ebola-free. The 42 days are separate from the 21-day monitoring period for people exposed to a patient.
On contacts, 66 people have completed the 21-day monitoring and gone home. Another 52 are due to finish quarantine by 11 November.
Director-General for Health Dr Patrick Amoth said in a ministry statement, as quoted by the Kenyan news site Kahawatungu: "We are close to the finish line."
Travellers are screened at all 26 points of entry, and more than 760,000 people have been screened so far. Emergency response teams remain on alert in the counties. Travellers must fill in the electronic traveller surveillance form through the UHAI Chatbot before arrival, and must report any illness within 21 days of entering Kenya.
Members of the public who suspect a case can call the toll-free line 719, dial *719#, or send a WhatsApp message to 0700 719 719. Fever, weakness, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhoea and unexplained bleeding are the symptoms to watch for.
The government said Kenya remains open, with no restrictions on travel, trade or public gatherings, Kahawatungu reported.
Drafted and translated with AI assistance; reviewed and published by editor Fengyan Du. How we use AI
Sources
Reporting Desk research, human-reviewed Sources 3 Published 6 Nov 2026 Corrections none How we check
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