The key facts

  • Four new Ebola cases in Kenya, seven in total; three of those infected are health workers who treated the first patient on 3–4 October
  • 128 of 130 contacts traced and placed in quarantine; no signs of community transmission of the virus
  • The first patient arrived from the DR Congo via Uganda in Nairobi on 3 October and died two days later

New cases among health workers and a relative of the first patient

Kenya's Ministry of Health on Saturday confirmed four new cases of Ebola (the disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus), bringing the total number of confirmed cases to seven, including the deceased first patient. The ministry's chief sanitary director, Patrick Amoth, said that three of the newly infected are health workers: men aged 29 and 35 and a woman aged 32, who provided care to the first patient on 3–4 October. The fourth patient is a male relative of the first deceased, who had been in quarantine since 6 October.

Detection in quarantine and condition of the patients

According to Amoth, all four patients developed a fever while in quarantine, after which they were immediately isolated; laboratory tests confirmed infection with the Bundibugyo strain. The diagnosis was confirmed by the National Reference Virology Laboratory and the Kenya Medical Research Institute. The patients are receiving supportive care from trained health workers; the second and third patients, according to the ministry, are stable and responding well to treatment. Authorities noted that the detection of all four cases among people already in quarantine reduced the risk of further transmission.

Contact tracing and risk assessment

The ministry reported that 128 of the 130 identified contacts (98.5%) have been traced and placed in quarantine, and the search for the remaining two continues. Amoth stated that there are no signs of community transmission of the virus and the risk to the population remains low. Also under observation are four relatives who cared for the first patient during his hospitalization.

No restrictions imposed, the situation in the region

Despite the new cases, Kenya has not imposed restrictions on travel, trade, or mass events — authorities declared that the country remains open. The first confirmed patient lived in the DR Congo, travelled through Uganda, and arrived in Nairobi on 3 October; he died two days later. The outbreak has raised concerns about the possible spread of Ebola in East Africa, especially given the movement of people between Kenya, Uganda, and Congo. According to data attributed to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Congolese authorities had reported more than 9,000 cases of infection and over 4,000 deaths by 14 October — the second-largest Ebola epidemic in history. Regional health services continue to monitor cross-border transmission, and Kenya is strengthening contact tracing and surveillance.