Kenya has discharged its final Ebola patient, bringing the number of recoveries from the outbreak to seven and setting the country on a 42-day countdown towards being declared Ebola-free.
The milestone comes after the East African nation recorded its first-ever Ebola case in early October, when a Kenyan businessman died shortly after arriving in Nairobi.
The man had contracted the virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where an ongoing outbreak that began in May has claimed more than 5,000 lives.
His mother also subsequently died from the disease.
Kenya’s Health Minister, Aden Duale, said the last patient’s discharge marked the successful recovery of all seven confirmed cases, while 135 identified contacts had completed their 21-day isolation and monitoring period.
“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,” Duale said.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention described the development as a significant achievement in the regional response to the outbreak.
Its Director-General, Jean Kaseya, called for continued vigilance until the disease is officially declared eradicated from the country.
“This is an encouraging moment for Kenya and for Africa. We must sustain surveillance and vigilance until the outbreak is officially declared over,” Kaseya posted on X.
Kenya has not recorded any new confirmed Ebola case since October 20.
All infections were traced to the businessman who travelled from the DR Congo through Uganda, with health authorities saying there was no evidence of wider community transmission. Four of the seven recovered patients were healthcare workers.
Five patients were discharged on November 3, while the sixth recovered three days later. The final patient was discharged on Wednesday.
Under the World Health Organisation’s guidelines, an Ebola outbreak can only be declared over after 42 consecutive days without a new case, counted from the last patient’s negative test and discharge or the safe burial of the last victim.
The Ebola virus is transmitted through contact with infected bodily fluids, including blood and vomit. Its incubation period ranges from two to 21 days, making prolonged monitoring of exposed individuals necessary.
Duale said the government would sustain heightened surveillance at airports, border crossings, healthcare facilities and communities throughout the countdown period. Emergency response teams would remain on standby, while travellers arriving from Ebola-affected countries would continue to be monitored.
Kenyans returning from affected areas are required to submit electronic health declarations before travelling, undergo screening on arrival and observe 21 days of quarantine under the supervision of health officials.
The minister also appealed to countries that had introduced travel and visa restrictions against Kenya to reconsider the measures, insisting that the country did not intend to become a quarantine centre for other nations.
In May, a Kenyan court suspended a United States plan to establish an Ebola quarantine facility for American citizens.
Kenya has also maintained that the outbreak does not warrant restrictions on domestic travel, trade or public gatherings.
However, the outbreak has affected international travel, with some Gulf countries imposing restrictions on travellers from Kenya and other African nations.
Saudi Arabia stopped issuing visas to Kenyan nationals in late October, raising concerns among those seeking employment in the country.
Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates has lifted its suspension on issuing new visas to Ugandan nationals, easing restrictions introduced in June.
However, Ugandans are required to spend at least 21 days outside their country before travelling to the UAE.
The UAE has also permitted certain categories of Ugandans, including students, diplomatic passport holders and embassy employees, to enter under approved health procedures.
Uganda, which shares a lengthy and busy border with the DR Congo, was among the countries initially affected by the outbreak but declared its own Ebola outbreak over on August 27.
The ongoing outbreak in the DR Congo is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, a relatively rare variant for which there is no approved vaccine or treatment.
However, vaccine and treatment trials are currently underway.
