Kenya confirms eighth Ebola case as regional outbreak spreads

Kenya has confirmed another Ebola infection, bringing the country’s total to eight as health authorities monitor people exposed to earlier cases and respond to concerns about transmission across the region.

Director-General for Health Patrick Amoth announced the latest infection on Sunday during an interview with Citizen TV. The patient is a 49-year-old man who worked as a patient attendant and had been placed in quarantine.

“Today, 38 people were tested, and one tested positive for Ebola,” Amoth said.

He said the man developed fever, headache, and muscle pain. Although his duties included cleaning utensils and linens used by patients, Amoth clarified that he was not a healthcare worker.

Authorities believe the attendant was probably exposed to Kenya’s first identified Ebola patient, a man who travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Nairobi earlier this month. That patient died at a Nairobi hospital on October 5.

The suspected connection places attention on the circumstances surrounding the first patient’s care and the people who may have encountered contaminated materials. Amoth’s account indicates that investigators consider the attendant’s activities a possible route of exposure, although the precise circumstances remain uncertain.

A health ministry source said the attendant began showing symptoms on Saturday. He was separated from other people in quarantine and tested for the virus. The positive result was returned on Sunday.

His presence in quarantine before the diagnosis suggests that authorities had already identified him as someone requiring monitoring. The information provided did not establish how many other people remained under observation or whether any had developed symptoms.

The latest diagnosis comes as Kenya remains on heightened alert over a major Ebola outbreak centred in Congo that has spread beyond the country’s borders. The Nairobi case has drawn attention to the risks associated with regional travel and exposure during patient care.

Congo also confirmed on Sunday that its outbreak had reached North Ubangi, making it the eighth affected province. The geographical expansion adds to concerns about further transmission within Congo and across neighbouring countries.

For Kenya, the immediate focus is identifying any additional infections among those already being monitored and establishing the chain of exposure linked to the first patient.

The latest announcement did not provide an update on the condition of the other confirmed patients or a detailed breakdown of their connections. With eight infections now recorded, the attendant’s diagnosis adds another case to the country’s response as the wider regional outbreak continues.