Kenya confirmed four additional Ebola cases, including three health workers, as authorities sought to contain the country’s first outbreak of the deadly disease.
The new infections bring the total number of confirmed cases to seven, including one death, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement. The fourth newly infected person is a family member of the initial case.
All four were already in quarantine after being identified as contacts of the first patient and are receiving supportive care at a designated treatment facility, Africa CDC said. Kenyan authorities have found and quarantined 128 of 130 identified contacts, with efforts continuing to locate the remaining two.
There is no evidence of community transmission at this stage, according to the agency.
“Their early identification demonstrates the critical role of contact tracing, surveillance and timely isolation in interrupting transmission and protecting communities,” Africa CDC said.
Kenya reported its first-ever Ebola case earlier this month after a Kenyan man infected with the Bundibugyo strain traveled from the Democratic Republic of Congo through Uganda before flying from Entebbe to Nairobi on Oct. 3.
The man underwent routine health screening on arrival at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport without any abnormal findings being detected. He was later taken to a private hospital, where staff recognized his symptoms, isolated him and alerted authorities. He died within days.
The case raised concerns about the ability of infected people to cross borders undetected and prompted authorities to reconstruct the man’s movements through Congo, Uganda and Kenya.
Africa CDC is working with Kenya on surveillance, technical coordination and community engagement as the Ebola outbreak in neighboring Congo continues. The infections among health workers also underscore the need for protective equipment, training and infection-control measures, the agency said.
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