Kenya discharges last Ebola patient in key milestone to being declared free of the virus

What the report says

Kenya has discharged its last Ebola patient, a development BBC Africa says marks a major step toward the country being officially declared free of the virus. The patient was the seventh person to recover in the outbreak linked to Kenya’s first confirmed case in early October, when a Kenyan businessman died shortly after arriving in Nairobi after exposure in the Democratic Republic of Congo. His mother also later died, according to the report.

Health Minister Aden Duale said 135 identified contacts of the infected patients had completed 21 days of isolation, and that all seven patients had recovered. BBC Africa reported that no new confirmed cases have been recorded since 20 October, and that health officials say there is no evidence the virus spread widely in the community. Four of those who recovered were healthcare workers.

Under World Health Organization guidance, Kenya must go 42 days after the last patient tests negative and is discharged before an outbreak can be declared over. During that period, authorities say they will keep surveillance in place at border crossings, airports, health facilities and communities, and continue screening travellers from affected areas. The report also notes that the outbreak has had wider regional effects, including travel restrictions in parts of the Gulf, while Kenya has urged other countries to review such measures.