Health

Kenyan Patient Tested Negative for Ebola, Alleviating Second‑Case Concerns

By Reuters

Preliminary laboratory results from a Kenyan patient suspected of Ebola infection have returned negative, easing fears of a second case in the country. The test results were announced by the governor of Wajir County, where the patient is being treated, on Thursday. "I am pleased to report that the preliminary laboratory results indicate that the sample is NEGATIVE for Ebola Virus Disease," the governor said in a statement. The suspected patient is a 20‑year‑old man who had traveled from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) through Uganda to Kenya. Kenya’s first confirmed Ebola case, a man who became ill in the DRC and died in Nairobi, also traveled the same route. Kenya reported its first case on Tuesday after the death of the citizen in Nairobi. The outbreak in the DRC, which began earlier this year and was officially declared in May, has killed at least 4,205 people out of more than 8,700 reported cases. The outbreak spread across the border to Uganda, which had about 20 cases before being declared Ebola‑free in July. The strain involved, the Bundibugyo virus (BDBV), is believed to have spread from animals to humans through a new transmission route and currently has no vaccine. The first Kenyan case raised concerns about the virus’s status in neighboring Uganda and exposed gaps in Kenya’s border screening, as the patient who died passed through multiple airport temperature checks. The World Health Organization is working with Kenyan authorities to trace contacts and strengthen travel checks.