Kenya Discharges Last Ebola Patient, Begins 42-Day Countdown To Disease-Free Status
Kenya has officially discharged its last Ebola patient, prompting a 42-day countdown before the country can be declared free of the disease. Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale announced the news on Wednesday, November 11, revealing that there have been no new infections reported since October 19.
The Ebola outbreak in Kenya began in early October when a man arriving from the Democratic Republic of Congo tested positive for the virus and subsequently died. In total, Kenya recorded nine cases, including eight contacts of the initial patient. Of these, one individual succumbed to the virus while seven others recovered.
The discharge of the last patient coincided with the release of the final 11 individuals in quarantine who had been in contact with confirmed cases, according to the Health Ministry.
To mitigate the risk of further transmission, the government will implement a 21-day quarantine for travelers arriving from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Duale stated.
This outbreak in Kenya was associated with a larger Ebola crisis in the DRC, which has reported over 11,000 cases, making it the second-largest recorded outbreak of the disease. Ebola has also been detected in four other countries across eastern, central, and western Africa, marking the broadest geographical spread of the outbreak on the continent to date.
The 42-day countdown, required for Kenya to be declared free of the outbreak, commences with the last confirmed case having recovered.
