Kenya confirms new Ebola case, bringing total infections to 9, health ministry says

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenya’s Ebola outbreak rose to nine confirmed cases on Tuesday after another person who had been in contact with the country's first patient tested positive while in quarantine, health officials said.

The health ministry said there was still no evidence of transmission beyond known contacts of the first patient.

Authorities have also identified 135 contacts linked to the nine patients, with 134 now in quarantine. The ministry said the list would continue to grow as more people who had come into contact with any of the nine patients were identified.

Kenya announced its first Ebola case on Oct. 6, involving a man who traveled from Congo via Uganda before arriving in Nairobi on Oct. 3. A relative drove him to a hospital, where he tested positive for Ebola on Oct. 5. He died the same day.

Four of his relatives and four health care workers have since tested positive.

Ebola is highly contagious and spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person, including blood and vomit, or through contact with contaminated materials and surfaces, such as bedding and clothing. Congo is experiencing its deadliest outbreak, with at least 4,000 deaths since May.

Kenya’s Ministry of Health said Tuesday that the first group of contacts was expected to complete the 21-day quarantine period on Oct. 25. Those who had not developed symptoms would be allowed to return home.

The ministry appealed to communities to welcome them back, saying they “pose no risk of infection”.

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AP’s Africa coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/africa