Kenya released on Monday, October 26, in Nairobi, the first twenty contacts of its initial Ebola case after twenty-one days of quarantine without symptoms, according to the Kenyan Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization.
The 98 other individuals still under observation must exit quarantine in four stages starting November 3, subject to their medical evaluation. Health authorities continue to monitor and conduct rapid symptom screening within this group.
The country has nine confirmed cases of the Bundibugyo strain, including two deaths. The seven other patients were in stable condition at the time of the latest report issued by the Kenyan authorities.
Eight contacts had developed symptoms and then tested positive while they were already in quarantine. This detection among isolated individuals allowed for immediate care and helped limit further exposures to be traced.
All confirmed cases remain linked to the same contact group, and there is no indication of transmission within the general population, according to the WHO. Monitoring continues, however, until the end of the surveillance period for each exposed individual.
The first patient was a 40-year-old Kenyan who arrived in Nairobi on October 3 from the Democratic Republic of the Congo after transiting through Uganda. He died on October 5, which triggered contact tracing in Kenya and the countries he passed through.
No approved vaccine or specific treatment is available against the Bundibugyo strain. Care is based on supportive treatment, while the health response combines isolation, contact tracing, and protective measures for healthcare workers.
