By Basant El-Faramawy
Kenya released five Ebola patients on Tuesday after they tested negative for the virus and showed no symptoms, leaving only two patients still undergoing supportive care, the Ministry of Health announced.
Contact tracing progress
The five recovered patients were discharged following negative test results. The ministry also released 46 contacts of the first Ebola patient who had completed a 21-day quarantine. An additional 20 contacts were released last week, and a final batch of 52 people is expected to finish quarantine next week.
Outbreak background
The outbreak, which began in Congo in May, has claimed more than 5,000 lives and infected over 10,000 people, making it one of the worst Ebola outbreaks on record. Kenya recorded its first case on Oct. 6 when a man who traveled from Congo via Uganda tested positive; he died hours later at Nairobi Hospital.
Containment efforts
Health authorities identified 135 contacts linked to the first patient, eight of whom subsequently tested positive for Ebola. One of those eight died, bringing Kenya's total deaths to two. Although no new infections have been reported in the past two weeks, officials say the country remains on high alert.
The ministry urged the public to stay vigilant, warning that the outbreak will not be declared over until a 42-day countdown is completed after the final patient recovers.
