Kenya's first Ebola outbreak claims second family member

A 65-year-old woman died from Ebola in Kenya, marking the second fatality in the country's first-ever outbreak. The health ministry confirmed she was a close relative of the initial patient. She died after developing symptoms on 13 October while under quarantine.

The outbreak began in September when a man fell ill in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He was treated at hospitals there before traveling to Nairobi, where he died on 5 October. His family members and hospital staff in Nairobi subsequently tested positive.

Seven patients are currently being treated at two isolation facilities. The group includes three other relatives of the first victim, three health workers, and one hospital cleaner. The ministry stated all cases belong to a single cluster and cited no evidence of community spread.

The virus is the Bundibugyo strain, which is rare and lacks an approved vaccine or treatment. Trials for potential cures are underway. The disease spreads through contact with infected bodily fluids and can cause organ failure, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Kenya has stepped up screening for travelers arriving from the DRC and nine other high-risk countries. These include Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda. Passengers must complete a digital form and show a QR code upon landing. Aircraft from these nations face extra health checks.

The US has advised its citizens to avoid travel to Kenya. Neighboring Uganda, Ethiopia, and Somalia have placed their health systems on alert. Uganda announced on Friday that travelers from the DRC can no longer use its territory for transit.

Nigeria's health minister, Prof Ali Pate, said the country's single confirmed case appears genetically linked to the Kenyan strain. Officials are testing whether the two initial patients crossed paths in Uganda's Entebbe airport earlier this month. More than 4,000 people have died in Africa since May from the related DRC outbreak.