Kenya Clears Last Ebola Patient, Enters 42-Day Countdown to Disease Eradication

In a significant development, Kenya has discharged its last Ebola patient, marking the beginning of a 42-day countdown towards being declared free of the deadly disease. Health Minister Aden Duale made this announcement during a press conference in Nairobi on Wednesday, following more than five weeks since the country reported its first case on October 6. The minister emphasized that preventive measures will continue to be enforced until December 23, when the country can potentially be declared Ebola-free.

The outbreak was initially traced back to a single patient who had traveled from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) through Uganda. This initial patient transmitted the virus to four family members and four healthcare workers. Unfortunately, both the first patient and his mother succumbed to Ebola, while the remaining seven patients made a full recovery. A total of 135 contacts who interacted with the first patient were identified by Kenyan authorities.

The current Ebola outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the virus and has been described as one of the worst on record. As a precautionary measure, Kenya faced travel restrictions, with Saudi Arabia announcing an indefinite suspension of visas for Kenyan workers traveling to the Gulf for employment on October 30. The Ministry of Health urged Saudi Arabia to reconsider these restrictions, explaining that Kenya's first Ebola case was imported and all subsequent cases were traced to the initial patient's contact list.

In response to the ongoing threat, Kenya has tightened its border controls, designating a specific gate at the country's main airport for passengers traveling from the 10 countries that have reported Ebola cases or are bordering those with active cases. Passengers are being screened using thermal technology, and all new arrivals are required to fill out a health declaration form providing their travel and health information. Additionally, citizens arriving from the DRC will now be subject to a 21-day quarantine, according to Health Minister Aden Duale.

Elsewhere in the region, the number of Ebola infections continues to rise. In the DRC, the epicenter of the outbreak, over 11,000 people have been infected, and more than 5,300 have died, according to government reports from Wednesday. The outbreak has also spread to Uganda and Nigeria through individuals who traveled from the DRC.