Kenya reports second Ebola death as outbreak reaches four African countries

Nairobi, Kenya. A 65-year-old woman died from Ebola on Friday evening, becoming Kenya’s second fatality, the health ministry announced late that day. She developed symptoms while quarantined and was a close relative and direct contact of the country’s first identified patient.

Nine confirmed cases in Kenya

The ministry said the first patient was a Kenyan man who had travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Nairobi. His infection was identified this month, and he died on October 5 at a hospital in Nairobi.

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Authorities subsequently identified and quarantined 135 contacts, with nine infections confirmed. According to the ministry, the seven surviving patients remain under care at two isolation facilities, and there is no evidence of transmission within the wider community in Kenya.

Outbreak spans four countries

The outbreak originated in the Democratic Republic of Congo and has reached four countries across Africa’s eastern, central and western regions, the broadest geographical reach recorded for an Ebola outbreak on the continent.

Nigeria reported an Ebola case on Tuesday, becoming the fourth affected African country. Officials were trying to establish where and how the patient became infected, as the person had not visited the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Late on Monday, the US State Department increased its travel advisory level for Kenya over health risks and urged Americans to reconsider visiting.

No approved vaccine or treatment for outbreak species

In Congo, Ebola has infected almost 10,000 people and caused more than 4,600 deaths. Symptoms can include fever, vomiting and diarrhoea, while severe illness can involve bleeding internally and externally. Transmission occurs only when an infected person has symptoms.

There is no approved vaccine or treatment for the rare Ebola species responsible for this outbreak.