Kenya has gone ten days without a new Ebola infection, and the last people under quarantine are expected to go home by November 11. Even so, the government has warned that the country cannot yet say it is free of the disease.
Public Health Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni gave the update on Friday after the ninth Ebola taskforce meeting. She said the last confirmed case was recorded on October 20, and that contacts who complete their monitoring without any symptoms are being released bit by bit. Those still isolated or under surveillance will be cleared by November 11, as long as they stay healthy.
The numbers show how far the response has come. Kenya has recorded nine cases and two deaths, which leaves seven patients still receiving treatment in designated hospitals. All nine infections have been traced back to the first imported case, confirmed on October 6. That patient had travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo through Uganda and tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain of the virus. International surveillance reports have found no sign that the virus spread widely within communities.
Last week, the Ministry of Health sent home the first 20 contacts after they went 21 days without symptoms. Health Director General Patrick Amoth said they were checked against the release criteria and pose no danger to their families, workmates or neighbours. He asked communities to welcome them back warmly. The other 98 contacts will be released in four groups starting November 3, after individual medical checks.
So why can't Kenya simply declare victory? The World Health Organisation says a country must wait 42 days after the last confirmed patient has tested negative twice, at least 48 hours apart, and has been discharged. If a patient dies, the burial must be done safely, and the countdown starts from there. The 42 days equal twice the longest incubation period of Ebola, giving health workers enough time to be sure no hidden chain of infection is still out there.
This means the discharge date of the last patient will decide everything. The government has not yet announced it. If that patient leaves hospital on November 11, the 42 days would end on December 23, but that is only an example and not an official date. Counting 42 days from October 20 gives December 1, yet that is not the official countdown either. Amoth said the outbreak will be declared over only after the full 42 days.
There is a recent example nearby. Uganda declared the end of its Bundibugyo outbreak on August 27, after its last patient was discharged on July 16 and no new case appeared for 42 days.
In the meantime, Muthoni said screening will continue at airports and other entry points, and in health facilities and communities. Hospitals have trained staff and received protective equipment, and the government has offered mental health support to people in quarantine, patients, their families and health workers. She also urged Kenyans to avoid unnecessary handshakes and hugs. Travel, trade and public gatherings remain unrestricted.
0 Comments