Nairobi: The number of Ebola virus cases in Kenya has risen to eight. Health officials have confirmed that a 49-year-old patient’s caretaker has tested positive for Ebola. Patrick Amoth, Director General of the Ministry of Health, stated that the infected individual has been isolated and preparations are underway to begin treatment. He also stated that the condition of previously infected patients is improving.
In an interview with Kenya’s Citizen TV, Amoth stated that samples from a total of 38 people were tested on Sunday, of which one person tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain. The 49-year-old patient had symptoms including fever, headache, and muscle aches.
Seven previously infected patients have been given antibody therapy
According to Amoth, the newly infected individual has been isolated and health officials are preparing to treat him. He stated that all seven previously confirmed patients have been administered monoclonal antibodies. Patients receiving treatment are showing improvement, Xinhua news agency reported.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment for the Bundibugyo strain currently spreading in Kenya. However, potential vaccines and treatment products are being evaluated in clinical trials.
Four New Cases Reported on Saturday
Four new Ebola cases were confirmed in Kenya on Saturday. These included a close male relative of the country’s first infected patient and three health workers who were caring for the first patient in hospital.
Amoth also addressed concerns about community transmission. He stated that the likelihood of community transmission through quarantined individuals is low.
130 people identified, 128 traced
According to Kenya’s Ministry of Health, authorities have intensified surveillance to identify people who came into contact with infected patients and stop potential chains of transmission. Those who came into contact with infected individuals are being quarantined.
The ministry stated that as of October 17, 130 people who had been in contact with the first infected patient had been identified, of whom 128 had been traced. Contact tracing and monitoring of new cases that have since emerged is ongoing.
First case detected on October 6
The first case of Ebola in Kenya was confirmed on October 6. The first infected person was a Kenyan citizen who had been living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). He arrived in Nairobi on October 3.
He died while undergoing treatment at a Nairobi hospital. He was later cremated in a public cemetery following prescribed safety procedures to minimise the risk of spreading the infection.