Kenya confirms third Ebola case detected during quarantine

Kenya has confirmed a third Ebola infection, in a 65-year-old woman who is a close relative of the country’s first two patients. The health ministry said she had been in quarantine since 6 October and was isolated and tested as soon as she developed fever, a sore throat and malaise. She is receiving supportive care.

The first patient had travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo through Uganda before flying to Nairobi and died on 5 October. Kenya’s second patient remained stable, officials said. Authorities had traced and quarantined 127 of 130 people known to have had contact with the first patient and were seeking the remaining three. The World Health Organization said there was no evidence of wider community transmission and advised against border closures or trade restrictions.

All three Kenyan cases are linked to Congo’s much larger outbreak, caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain. There is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment for that strain, making early detection, isolation and careful contact monitoring central to containment. The new case increases the count but was found inside the existing quarantine system. The immediate measure of control is whether surveillance identifies any infections beyond the known contact chain.