Kenya Logs Second Ebola Death; Congo Cluster Tops 4,000 Fatalities

More than 4,000 people have died from Ebola in Africa since the virus was confirmed in the Democratic Republic of Congo in May. That total marks the second most deadly outbreak of the disease on record, with the Congo reporting more than 9,500 cases.

Kenya confirmed its second local death on 24 October. The patient was a 65-year-old woman who died after being placed in quarantine. She was a close relative of the first Kenyan victim, a man who arrived in Nairobi from the Congo and died there on 5 October. The woman developed symptoms on 13 October while already in isolation.

Seven other individuals are currently under treatment at two isolation facilities. The group includes three other relatives of the first victim, three health workers, and a hospital cleaner. The Kenyan health ministry stated that all cases belong to one cluster and cited no evidence of community spread.

The outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain, a relatively rare species for which no approved vaccine or treatment exists. Clinical trials are currently underway. The virus spreads through contact with infected bodily fluids and can cause organ failure, vomiting, and internal or external bleeding.

Kenya has implemented enhanced screening for travelers from the Congo and eight other high-risk nations, including Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda. Passengers must complete a digital surveillance form before boarding and present a QR code to port health officials upon arrival. Aircraft from these countries face additional public health checks.

The United States issued a travel warning for its citizens in Kenya. Neighboring Uganda, Ethiopia, and Somalia are on alert. Uganda announced on Friday that it will no longer allow people who have traveled to the Congo to transit through its territory.

Nigeria’s health minister, Prof Ali Pate, said the country’s single confirmed case appears genetically related to the Kenyan strain. He noted no evidence that the Kenyan patient traveled to Nigeria, though officials are checking if both first patients crossed paths at Uganda’s Entebbe airport earlier this month.