{From the social media page of the Kenya's Ministry of Health}
MINISTRY OF HEALTH REPUBLIC OF KENYA | OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR HEALTH | PRESS RELEASE
FIRST CONFIRMED PATIENTS DISCHARGED AS MORE CONTACTS GO HOME
Nairobi, 3rd November 2026
The Ministry of Health is pleased to share encouraging news in the national response to Ebola (Bundibugyo Virus disease outbreak.
Five (5) male patients, two (2) from the Kenyatta National Hospital and three (3) from The Nairobi Hospital, have completed their treatment, have been free of symptoms, and are being discharged today, Tuesday, 3rd November 2026, after laboratory tests confirmed that they have cleared the virus.
Their recovery is a tribute to the skill and dedication of our health workers.
Further, forty-six (46) more contacts who have completed their monitoring and are in good health have been released from quarantine and reunited with their families, in addition to the twenty (20) contacts who returned home on 25th October 2026.
The remaining 52 contacts are expected to be released by 11th November, 2026, on completing 21 days since their last exposure. Contacts who complete this quarantine period without developing any symptoms cannot transmit the disease and pose no risk to anyone.
Every patient and contact goes home only after meeting a strict public health criterion and will receive psychosocial support from our multi-disciplinary team of health experts.
We ask families, employers, neighbours and communities to welcome them home warmly, treat them with respect, dignity and compassion and shun stigma.
The total number of confirmed cases remains nine (9), with two (2) deaths giving a case fatality rate (CFR) of 22.2%.
No new case has been recorded since 19th October 2026.
All the confirmed cases belong to a single cluster linked to the first imported case, and there is no community transmission of the disease.
The remaining two (2) patients, one each at KNH and The Nairobi Hospital continue to receive treatment and will be released upon meeting the established discharge criteria.
These milestones bring us closer to the end of the outbreak but are not the end itself.
Once our final patient has recovered or been laid to rest with full dignity and care, Kenya will begin a 42-day countdown, and the outbreak will be declared over only if no new case is recorded in that period. Until then, heightened surveillance continues without pause.
The Ministry is aware of the recent travel measures announced by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the State of Kuwait in relation to travel into or outside the country.
Kenya will continue to be guided by science and by the International Health Regulations (2005), which require that health measures affecting international travel be proportionate and based on scientific evidence.
Through IHR channels, we have shared Kenya's data with these countries and requested the public health basis for these extreme measures, while the broader matter is handled through established diplomatic channels.
Kenya remains open for business, with no restrictions on travel, trade or public gatherings.
The Ministry continues to appeal to anyone experiencing any symptoms suggestive of Ebola to come forward and seek medical evaluation immediately.
Seeking healthcare early is critical to surviving the virus and preventing its spread to loved ones and the community. Call 719 free of charge, or use our WhatsApp chatbot number 0700 719 719 to send an alert.
Together, we are bringing this outbreak to an end.
Dr. Patrick Amoth, CBS | DIRECTOR GENERAL
Source: Facebook Page of the Kenya's Ministry of Health, https://www.facebook.com/MinstryofHealthKE
____

No comments:
Post a Comment