NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenya’s Ebola case count has reportedly risen to eight, although the Ministry of Health had not issued a separate official confirmation of the additional infection by Sunday, October 18, as health authorities sought to protect frontline workers and prevent further transmission.
Director-General for Health Dr Patrick Amoth said the country had adequate resources to manage the outbreak, including sufficient Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers treating suspected and confirmed patients.
Speaking to a local television station on Sunday, Amoth said the infections reported so far had largely involved healthcare workers and close relatives of the first patient, who died earlier this month.
“As a country, we are very well prepared, including the cases that have come out as of today, which are basically from healthcare workers and immediate family members of the deceased,” Amoth said.
He added that the government had adequate protective equipment for medical personnel responding to the outbreak.
“We think that we have adequate quantities of personal protective equipment to be able to distribute to healthcare workers,” he said.
The latest reported increase comes a day after the Ministry of Health confirmed four additional cases of Bundibugyo Ebola virus disease, bringing the official national tally to seven, including the first patient who died.
The additional case reported on Sunday could raise the total to eight, but the figure remained unconfirmed in a separate official statement at the time of publication.
Healthcare workers among confirmed cases
The latest confirmed infections have heightened concerns about the safety of healthcare workers, three of whom tested positive after treating Kenya’s first Ebola patient.
The Ministry of Health said on Saturday that the three workers — two men and one woman aged 29, 35 and 32, respectively — had attended to the first patient while he was hospitalised.
A close male relative of the deceased also tested positive, bringing the confirmed total to seven.
According to the ministry, all four patients developed fever and were isolated before laboratory tests confirmed the infections. They were already in quarantine when diagnosed.
The cases underline the importance of infection prevention measures in healthcare facilities, including appropriate protective equipment, safe patient handling and early identification of exposed personnel.
KMPDU raises concerns over preparedness
The infections among medical personnel have also intensified scrutiny of Kenya’s preparedness to contain the outbreak.
The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has raised concerns over Ebola preparedness and called for greater involvement of healthcare workers in the national response.
Amoth’s assurance on protective equipment addresses one of the central concerns facing hospitals as health authorities continue monitoring exposed staff and other contacts.
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In its October 17 update, the Ministry of Health said 128 of 130 identified contacts had been traced and placed under quarantine. Health officials are monitoring exposed contacts for 21 days after their last possible exposure.
The latest reported case count, however, requires confirmation from the ministry before it can be treated as the official national tally.
Authorities focus on containing transmission
Kenya’s response has centred on isolating confirmed patients, tracing contacts, monitoring exposed individuals and strengthening infection prevention measures.
Health authorities have maintained that the identified infections are linked to the initial case and its close contacts, with no evidence of wider community transmission reported in the latest confirmed update. That assessment may change as investigations and surveillance continue.
Ebola spreads primarily through direct contact with the blood or other bodily fluids of an infected person who is showing symptoms, or through contaminated materials. Healthcare workers caring for patients and people handling the bodies of those who have died can face increased exposure risks without appropriate precautions.
The Ministry of Health has urged people who develop symptoms after a possible exposure to seek medical attention promptly. Members of the public can call the ministry’s toll-free health information line on 719.
For now, the immediate priorities remain protecting frontline workers, completing contact tracing and verifying whether the reported eighth case has been confirmed by laboratory testing and the health authorities.
