Kenya Discharges Last Ebola Patient

Kenya has discharged its last Ebola patient, beginning a 42-day countdown before the country can be declared free of the disease if no new infections are recorded.

The country’s Health Minister, Aden Duale, announced the development on Wednesday, saying the final patient had recovered and been discharged from hospital.

Kenya recorded nine Ebola cases during the outbreak, including the first patient who arrived from the Democratic Republic of Congo through Uganda in October.

The initial patient and his mother died from the disease, while the other seven patients recovered. Four of the infections were recorded among healthcare workers.

The government also identified 135 people who had come into contact with infected persons, with all completing the required monitoring period.

Duale said the 42-day countdown represents twice the longest incubation period of the Ebola virus and is expected to end on December 23, provided no new cases emerge.

Despite the discharge of the final patient, the government said it would maintain surveillance and other preventive measures to guard against fresh infections.

The development comes as the wider Ebola outbreak continues to affect other countries in the region, particularly the Democratic Republic of Congo, where more than 11,000 infections and over 5,000 deaths have been reported.