The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
Kenya has confirmed a third case of Ebola (Bundibugyo virus disease) in a 65-year-old woman who had been in quarantine since October 6, as health authorities step up surveillance to contain the outbreak.
The Ministry of Health said on Friday, October 16, that the woman was a primary contact and a close relative of the first and second patients. She developed a fever, sore throat and malaise while in quarantine, which led to her isolation and testing.
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Her samples returned positive at both the National Virology Reference Laboratory and the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) laboratory. She has been moved to the Infectious Disease Unit, where trained health workers are giving her supportive care.
“Having been in quarantine, she was diagnosed early and is currently receiving supportive care, improving her chances of recovery while limiting the risk of further spread of the disease,” said Director General for Health Patrick Amoth in a statement.
The ministry said the second patient remains stable and is responding well to treatment, and promised updates on all reported cases. It added that the latest case was picked up within the quarantine system, which allowed health workers to isolate the patient before any further exposure. The risk to the general public remains low, it said, with no evidence of community transmission.
Of the 130 contacts identified, 127 (97.7 per cent) had been traced and quarantined by October 16, while efforts continue to find the remaining three. The ministry noted that this is above the global benchmark of 85 per cent needed to break the chain of transmission. “Cases among quarantined contacts are possible until their monitoring ends; if they occur, they will be detected and treated just as quickly,” it said.
To boost preparedness, the government has sent personal protective equipment, infection prevention and control supplies and screening equipment to 28 high-risk counties and points of entry. Travellers from 10 high-risk countries must fill out a digital surveillance form before boarding and show a QR code to port health officers on arrival, while all aircraft from those countries are undergoing enhanced screening at Kenya’s international airports.
A cumulative 685,027 people had been screened by October 15 since the outbreak began in May 2026. The government stressed that the country remains open for business, with no restrictions on travel, trade or public gatherings.
Ebola spreads through direct contact with the blood or body fluids of an infected or deceased person, not through the air. The ministry urged anyone with fever, unusual tiredness, muscle or joint pain, vomiting, diarrhoea or unexplained bleeding to seek immediate medical attention.
