Kenya’s Ministry of Health has ruled out a lockdown, travel ban or restrictions on public gatherings following an increase in confirmed Ebola cases to seven, assuring residents that the country remains open for normal activities.
The ministry said the clarification was necessary to address public anxiety, urging Kenyans to remain calm, observe preventive measures and obtain updates through official government channels.
The latest cases include three health workers who treated the country’s first confirmed patient and a male relative of the deceased, according to reports published on Saturday.
All four newly confirmed patients were already in quarantine when they tested positive, with health authorities saying the development demonstrated the importance of early detection and contact tracing in containing the disease.
Kenya’s first confirmed patient was a 40-year-old man who travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo through Uganda before arriving in Nairobi on October 3 and died two days later.
The outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, a rare variant for which there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment, although patients can receive supportive care to manage symptoms and complications.
Health authorities said they had identified 130 people who came into contact with the first patient, with 128 traced and placed under quarantine while efforts continued to locate the remaining two contacts.
The ministry maintained that there was no evidence of wider community transmission and that the risk to the general public remained low, despite the additional infections.
Authorities also cautioned against misconceptions about the virus, explaining that Ebola does not spread through the air but through direct contact with the blood and other body fluids of infected people or those who have died from the disease, as well as contaminated materials.
Residents were advised to seek prompt medical attention if they developed symptoms such as fever, unusual tiredness, muscle pain, vomiting or diarrhoea, particularly if they suspected exposure to an infected person.
The ministry urged anyone requiring information or guidance to call the toll-free health information line 719, warning that unverified reports could trigger unnecessary panic and undermine public health efforts.
