Kenya has confirmed a third case of Ebola, prompting health authorities to intensify surveillance and containment efforts amid concerns about the virus spreading across East Africa.
The Ministry of Health said the latest patient is a 65-year-old woman who is a close relative of the first two confirmed cases. She had been in quarantine since October 6 before developing symptoms, including fever, sore throat and fatigue.
The country reported its first-ever Ebola case last week after a 40-year-old businessman died on October 5 following a trip from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
A second infection involving another relative of the deceased was confirmed days later, raising the number of reported cases in Kenya to three.
Health authorities said 127 of the 130 identified contacts had been traced and placed in quarantine, while efforts were ongoing to locate the remaining three.
Despite the new case, the ministry maintained that the risk to the general public remained low, noting that there was no evidence of community transmission.
Meanwhile, the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has reportedly infected more than 9,000 people and caused over 4,300 deaths.
The outbreak is linked to the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which no specific vaccine or approved treatment is currently available, making early detection, isolation and contact tracing critical to containing its spread.
