Kenya Discharges Last Ebola Patient and Begins 42-Day Countdown
Kenya has discharged its last Ebola patient, the seventh person to recover from the disease in the country, and has begun a 42-day countdown toward being officially declared Ebola-free, according to BBC News. The final patient was cleared on Wednesday, 11 November.
Kenya confirmed its first Ebola case in early October, when a Kenyan businessman died within days of arriving in Nairobi. He had contracted the virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where an outbreak that began in May has killed more than 5,000 people. The businessman's mother also later died.
Five patients were discharged on 3 November, a sixth three days later, and the seventh on Wednesday. Four healthcare workers were among those who recovered.
Kenya's health minister, Aden Duale, said 135 identified contacts had completed 21 days in isolation, a period of separation during which a person is monitored for signs of illness. Kenya has reported no new confirmed cases since 20 October. All Kenyan cases were linked to a man who travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo through Uganda, and Kenyan health officials reported no evidence of wider community transmission.
Under guidelines from the World Health Organization, the United Nations health agency, 42 days must pass after the last Ebola patient tests negative and is discharged, or after the last victim is safely buried, before an outbreak can be declared over. Kenya's countdown follows that rule.
Kenyans returning from Ebola-affected areas must complete electronic health declarations, undergo screening on arrival, and spend 21 days in quarantine, a monitored period of separation, under the supervision of health teams.
Other countries have also taken steps linked to the outbreak. Saudi Arabia stopped issuing visas to Kenyan nationals in late October. The United Arab Emirates has announced it is lifting its suspension on new visas for Ugandan nationals, though Ugandans must spend at least 21 days outside Uganda before they can travel to the UAE.
In May, a Kenyan court suspended US plans to open an Ebola quarantine facility for American citizens.
