Kenya’s Ebola containment efforts have recorded another positive development, with health officials reporting no fresh infections as the first group of people under quarantine prepares to return home this weekend.
The Ministry of Health announced on Thursday that laboratory tests had cleared all 14 samples collected from suspected cases and alerts reported across the country in the preceding 24 hours. The update came on the 17th day after Kenya confirmed an imported case of the Bundibugyo virus disease on October 6, 2026.
The country’s confirmed infections remain at nine, including the first patient, who died on October 5. Authorities have linked every case to the same cluster and have found no evidence that the virus has spread into the wider community.
Eight patients remain under treatment in designated isolation centres. The ministry reported that their condition was stable and that they were making progress towards recovery. The group comprises four relatives of the first patient and four healthcare workers who attended to the case.
Health officials have also accounted for all 135 people who came into contact with the first patient, including those outside Kenya. The ministry said it had notified the relevant foreign health authorities in accordance with International Health Regulations.
Investigations found that all confirmed patients had close contact with the first case between October 3 and October 5 before entering quarantine. They developed symptoms within the virus’s recognised incubation period of two to 21 days.
Health Director General Dr Patrick Amoth said the findings point to infections originating from the first patient. He added that investigators had found no evidence of transmission inside quarantine facilities, where authorities had strengthened infection prevention and control measures.
Amoth explained that officials calculate each contact’s 21-day monitoring period from their most recent exposure. Anyone exposed to another confirmed case must begin monitoring from that later date.
People who complete the required monitoring period without becoming ill will start leaving quarantine on Sunday, October 25. The ministry thanked them for cooperating with health teams and urged families, employers and communities to welcome them without discrimination.
Meanwhile, screening and testing operations continue nationwide. The ministry reported screening 709,093 travellers at entry points since the response began, including 3,107 in the 24 hours before Thursday’s update. Authorities have tested 461 samples since the outbreak response started in May 2026.
The government said Kenyans could continue travelling, trading and attending public gatherings without restrictions while containment efforts continued.
The ministry urged anyone experiencing fever, unusual tiredness, muscle or joint pain, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhoea or unexplained bleeding to seek immediate medical attention.
Amoth called on the public to support patients, contacts and healthcare workers with compassion rather than stigma, expressing confidence that continued cooperation could bring the outbreak to an end.