Kenya has announced a second case of Ebola linked to the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the toll has risen to about 9,000 confirmed cases and 4,300 deaths, as contact-tracing efforts continue amid difficulties detecting cases and reaching patients. Kenya’s Ministry of Health said the second patient was a family member of the first patient, who died after returning from the Democratic Republic of the Congo via Uganda.
Kenya isolates second patient and traces contacts
The new patient had been in quarantine before developing symptoms on Tuesday, including fever, fatigue and joint pain, prompting the authorities to isolate them immediately. The ministry confirmed a link between the two cases, saying there was no evidence so far that the infection had spread to the wider community.
The authorities have located 113 of the 128 people who came into contact with the first patient. Of these, 108 are in quarantine, while five are outside the country and the relevant health authorities have been notified. The search continues for 15 contacts whose whereabouts have not yet been established.
Congo outbreak spreads amid conflict and resource shortages
The authorities have also begun assessing people who may have come into contact with the second case, including health workers and staff at the quarantine centre. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the outbreak, announced in mid-May, has reached seven provinces in the north and east of the country. Armed conflict and limited resources available to the health sector are hampering the response to the epidemic.
Catherine Swallowood, the World Health Organisation’s response director in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, said about 60 per cent of deaths had occurred outside health facilities, adding that deaths recorded in communities had accounted for about one-third of new cases in recent weeks.
Swallowood added that these indicators meant not all infections were being detected in time and that some patients were dying before reaching healthcare services. Sarah Chiang, country director of the Danish Refugee Council in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, said weak trust in medical and humanitarian workers, limited hospital capacity and the deteriorating security situation were making it more difficult to reach people at risk.
The World Health Organisation said on Tuesday that it was working to test a vaccine targeting the “Bundibugyo” strain responsible for the current outbreak, alongside contact tracing, patient isolation and stronger cross-border health coordination.
