NAIROBI, Kenya Oct 14 – The country has confirmed a second case of Ebola, with the Ministry of Health saying quarantine and contact tracing measures helped detect the infection early and isolate the patient before further transmission could occur.

📻 Breaking It Down

The second patient, a 39-year-old man and close family member of the first confirmed case, developed fever, fatigue and joint pains on October 13 while in quarantine under daily medical monitoring.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Director-General for Health Patrick Amoth said the patient was immediately isolated and tested after developing symptoms.

“As soon as he developed fever, fatigue and joint pains, the quarantine team isolated him and took a specimen,” Dr Amoth said.

📌 What You Need to Know

He added that samples tested positive at both the National Virology Reference Laboratory and the Kenya Medical Research Institute-Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KEMRI-CDC) laboratory, with matching results.

The patient has since been transferred to a designated treatment centre, where he is receiving supportive care from trained medical teams.

“Because he was already in quarantine, his illness was detected early. This is the response working as designed,” Dr Amoth said, adding that early supportive care improves the patient’s chances of recovery while prompt isolation limits the risk of transmission.

Kenya has now recorded two confirmed cases and one death. The ministry said both infections were linked and there was no evidence of transmission in the wider community.

Health authorities have identified 128 people who came into contact with the first patient, with 113 traced as of October 13.

Of those traced, 108 are in quarantine in Kenya and undergoing daily clinical assessments and temperature checks for 21 days from their last possible exposure.

📰 Source: Capital FM Kenya