Health
Kenya expands quarantine and WHO assistance after second Ebola case confirmed
A 39‑year‑old relative of Kenya’s first Ebola patient tested positive on 13 October, prompting quarantine of more than 40 contacts, WHO‑backed training for more than 4,000 health workers and continued border screening without travel bans.
Expanded quarantine after second case
Kenya reported a second Ebola infection on 13 October involving a 39‑year‑old man who is a close relative of the country’s first patient. The initial case, a man living in the Democratic Republic of Congo, entered Nairobi via Uganda on 3 October and died two days later. Following the new diagnosis, authorities placed the patient in isolation and broadened quarantine to more than 40 identified contacts. Those contacts include airline passengers, crew members, airport staff, baggage handlers, immigration officers, health personnel and family members. Most are under official quarantine, while a few low‑risk individuals are self‑monitoring, and about six passengers with foreign phone numbers remain hard to locate.
WHO technical and material support
The World Health Organization has reinforced Kenya’s response by deploying a senior incident manager who previously led the Ebola effort in Uganda, together with additional technical experts. Since the first case, WHO has supplied roughly $70,000 worth of infection‑prevention and laboratory equipment and helped set up quarantine centres where case management and infection‑prevention control are priorities. Training programmes have reached more than 4,000 health workers, covering screening protocols at ports of entry and safe handling of suspected cases. Ongoing surveillance and contact‑tracing activities are coordinated across ministries, building on preparedness work that began after the DRC outbreak was declared in May.
Border policy and public guidance
Kenyan authorities have chosen not to impose travel bans or close borders, opting instead for enhanced screening of incoming travellers for Ebola‑related symptoms. WHO advises that transmission occurs through direct contact with bodily fluids, making regular handwashing, use of sanitizer and avoidance of handshakes essential preventive steps. The agency urges anyone feeling ill to seek prompt medical care, noting that Ebola symptoms can resemble malaria or other febrile illnesses. Public messages stress calm, responsibility and adherence to infection‑prevention measures to avoid community spread while keeping essential cross‑border movement intact.