Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has confirmed that all 122 contacts linked to Kenya’s first imported Ebola case have been identified and verified, with 108 people in quarantine and undergoing daily monitoring.
In a statement issued on Sunday, October 11, Duale said none of those in quarantine had developed symptoms, as the government intensified surveillance and containment measures to prevent further infections.
“All 122 contacts of the case have been listed and verified. 108 (88.5%) are in quarantine and being monitored daily and none have developed any symptoms thus far,” Duale stated.
The latest update marks progress in the contact-tracing exercise, following earlier reports that health officials had quarantined 10 high-risk contacts while searching for 57 other people potentially exposed to the deceased patient.
The Ministry did not provide a revised breakdown explaining how the earlier figures relate to the latest total.
Nearly 300 Samples Tested
Kenya confirmed its first imported Ebola case on October 6 involving a Kenyan who had travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) through Uganda before dying on October 5.
The patient was buried on October 6 in accordance with public health protocols as authorities moved to identify and monitor people who may have come into contact with him.
By October 11, the Ministry of Health reported that 293 samples collected from 289 alerts had been tested, with only the confirmed case returning a positive result.
Contact tracing and monitoring have continued with support from international partners as health officials assess the risk of further transmission.
More Than 667,000 Travellers Screened
The government has also expanded screening at the country’s points of entry as part of efforts to detect potential cases early.
According to the Ministry, 667,675 travellers had been screened at 26 points of entry. This included 2,345 people screened during the 24 hours preceding the latest update.
Five designated laboratories are testing samples, including mobile facilities at the Lwakhaha and Busia border points. The Ministry said confirmed results could be available within six to 12 hours.
The measures are intended to strengthen early detection and ensure suspected infections can be assessed promptly.
Kenya Expands Hospital and Health Worker Preparedness
The government has made 241 isolation beds available across five hospitals in Nairobi, Eldoret and Mombasa to support the response.
The available facilities include 50 intensive care beds at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, while an additional 4,197 healthcare workers have received training in Ebola management.
Kenya has also proposed establishing the Kenya Centre for Disease Control and Prevention to coordinate disease prevention, surveillance and management.
Meanwhile, the government is mobilising more than KSh70 billion in support from development partners for Ebola preparedness and climate-change response efforts.
The Ministry continues to monitor contacts and strengthen surveillance as Kenya works to contain the risk of further Ebola infections.
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