Kenya confirms a third Ebola case; WHO strengthens readiness in a region of 22 countries

Kenya has confirmed a third case of Ebola, bringing the number of infected people in the country to three, one of whom has died, UN News reported, citing the World Health Organization (WHO). WHO is a UN agency and is helping Kenya's authorities respond, so it is both a source and a participant in this story.

According to WHO, the new patient was already in quarantine and was detected as soon as the first symptoms appeared. WHO said this limits the risk of the virus spreading. The sources do not give the third patient's age, sex or relationship to the earlier cases.

A second case had been confirmed two days before the third. The two earlier cases are a 39-year-old man and a 65-year-old woman, both relatives of the first patient. He was a Kenyan who died overnight after travelling from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). He was the first Ebola case ever recorded in Kenya.

Kenya's health ministry said nothing at this stage points to community transmission. UN News reports that more cases could still turn up among contacts under observation. Health teams identified 130 people who may have been in contact with the first patient, including relatives, friends, health workers and passengers on the same flight. According to UN News, 127 of them were in quarantine at the time of its report. Their temperature and symptoms are checked daily for 21 days, which UN News describes as the longest known period between exposure and illness.

The two earlier patients are receiving supportive care in dedicated treatment units. The ministry said the second patient was stable and responding well. The outbreak is of the Bundibugyo strain of the virus. UN News reports that no licensed vaccine or specific treatment exists for it, though trials are under way in the DRC.

Kenya began preparing after the outbreak was declared in the DRC. UN News reports that nearly 5 000 health workers have been trained with WHO support. It says WHO has also supplied about 70 000 dollars of equipment, including protective gear, testing kits and infrared thermometers. WHO advises against closing borders or restricting trade. Kenya remains open, with no limits on travel, commerce or public gatherings.

Separately, WHO says it is strengthening Ebola preparedness in its eastern Mediterranean region, which has 22 countries and territories. No Ebola cases have been recorded there so far. The agency has named Djibouti, Somalia and Sudan as priority countries. It cites deadly Bundibugyo outbreaks in the DRC and Uganda, and the Kenyan case linked to the DRC.

Between July and September, WHO sent missions to the three priority countries. They assessed surveillance, laboratory capacity, infection prevention and control, case management and emergency coordination. WHO says it is helping close gaps through training, technical support, medical supplies and simulation exercises. It has also provided laboratory supplies, traveller guidance and community engagement resources.

WHO says gaps remain in early detection, laboratory confirmation and the availability of protective equipment and resources for emergency response. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Gebreyesus described the region in a speech as “the epicentre of global humanitarian need”. WHO says more than 117 million people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Sudan, Syria, Yemen and beyond require humanitarian assistance to survive. It said “Conflict, insecurity and restricted access present additional challenges, particularly in countries already facing major humanitarian emergencies”.