Kenya discharges last Ebola patient, starting 42-day countdown to end outbreak

Last patient leaves hospital

Kenya discharged its last Ebola patient on Wednesday, 11 November, and Health Minister Aden Duale said the country now has no patients in treatment and no contacts in quarantine, the first time this has been the case since the outbreak began. Of the nine confirmed cases, seven people recovered and two died, the first patient and his mother. On the same day, the remaining 11 of 135 traced contacts returned home after completing their observation period without symptoms. Duale gave the milestone in these words at a news conference in Nairobi:

“Today with the discharge of the last patient we can confirm and tell the world that seven patients have recovered - and all contacts have completed their follow-up monitoring”

Recovered7

Died2

Recovered

7 people

Died

2 people

Data from the article text

How the outbreak reached Kenya

Kenya registered its first case on 6 October. The man had been infected in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, travelled overland through Uganda and then flew to Kenya, where he died in a hospital. His mother later died as well, and a family member who showed symptoms in mid-October was already under quarantine at that point. According to Al Jazeera, the first patient passed the virus to four family members and four healthcare workers. Duale said the last confirmed case was reported on 19 October, and the ministry noted that all nine cases were linked to the first patient's contact list, which pointed to no community transmission.

Countdown and travel curbs

Under WHO guidelines, 42 days must pass after the last patient tests negative and is discharged before an outbreak can be declared over. Kenya's countdown is set to end on 23 December if no new case appears, a date that falls at the start of the main travel season for a country where tourism is one of the largest economic sectors. Saudi Arabia announced an indefinite suspension of visas on 30 October, affecting hundreds of Kenyan workers heading to the Gulf, particularly domestic and hotel staff. The Kenyan ministry urged Saudi Arabia to reconsider, explaining that the first case was imported and that every later case traced back to that initial contact list. Kenya designated a single gate at its main airport for passengers from 10 countries that have reported Ebola cases or border countries with active cases, and it screens arrivals with thermal technology and health declaration forms. Duale also said Kenya would not host travellers from other countries to meet their entry requirements, and when asked about a controversial deal with the United States to open a quarantine centre in Kenya, he said the matter is in the hands of the courts.

Outbreak continues in Congo

The outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo remains out of control across eight provinces. Government figures released on Wednesday, 11 November, put cumulative infections at 11,042 and deaths at 5,387. The strain is Bundibugyo, and no approved treatments or vaccines exist for it. The outbreak has spread to Uganda and Nigeria through travellers from the DRC.

Infected11,042

Died5,387

Infected

11042 people

Died

5387 people

Data from the article text

The 2014 to 2016 outbreak in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone infected more than 28,600 people and is the only one that exceeded the current epidemic. The United Nations has called on the world for help. Africa CDC chief Jean Kaseya welcomed Kenya's progress on X:

“This is an encouraging moment for Kenya and for Africa. We must sustain surveillance and vigilance until the outbreak is officially declared over.”