Quarantined patient tests positive as Ebola outbreak spreading into Kenya exposes contract tracing failures, experts warn
Second case confirmed in Kenya
Kenya’s health ministry confirmed a second Ebola case this week. The patient, a 39-year-old man and close relative of the first case, was in quarantine when he fell ill on Tuesday.
Although a handful of cases among people from the DRC were reported in Uganda over the summer, Uganda has since declared itself Ebola-free. Experts still warn that the risk of cross-border spread is real.
Contact tracing faces major gaps
Contact tracing remains below the target of 80 per cent, according to Trish Newport, Médecins Sans Frontières’ emergency programme manager in the DRC. She said that identifying contacts in the first place is also a major challenge.
Newport said it is difficult to track the movements of someone who has died. She also warned that people may move around without knowing they have Ebola. In a statement, Newport said the process of listing contacts needs to improve. She added that mapping the movements of infected people takes substantial resources, which are not currently available.
Communities and faster detection
Community leaders can help share information about Ebola awareness, education and prevention. Dr Abdirahman Mahamud, the WHO’s Director of Health Emergency Alert and Response Operations, said village leaders and community health workers know local households, movement patterns and community concerns.
The WHO warns that weak contact tracing could lead to continued undetected transmission, late diagnoses, expanding clusters and further spread across borders. Mahamud said faster case detection and more complete follow-up are needed to move the response ahead of the outbreak rather than react to it.
Key points
- Kenya confirmed a second Ebola case in a man already in quarantine.
- Contact tracing remains below the 80 per cent target, and identifying contacts is a major challenge.
- Aid cuts have reduced trained staff and operational support for the response.
- The WHO warns that tracing gaps could bring undetected spread and delayed diagnoses.