Ebola outbreak reaches Nigeria as Kenya reports second death

The World Health Organization has warned that Africa is facing a “complex” Ebola outbreak after the Bundibugyo strain spread from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to countries in eastern and western Africa.

Kenya reported its second Ebola death on Friday, involving a 65-year-old woman who developed symptoms while quarantined after contact with a relative who had died from the disease. Kenya’s Health Ministry said nine cases had been confirmed, including the two deaths, and seven patients remained in isolation. Authorities have traced and quarantined 135 contacts and said all confirmed infections belonged to one cluster, with no evidence of community transmission.

Nigeria confirmed an imported case in Abuja in a woman who had recently travelled from Uganda. She developed symptoms on October 7, sought treatment on October 11 and tested positive on October 20. Authorities placed her in isolation and identified 44 high-risk contacts. Africa CDC said investigators were examining a possible connection to Kenya’s initial case because both patients passed through Uganda’s Entebbe International Airport on October 3, but no link had been established. Nigeria’s health minister later said analysis showed the virus was closely related to that found in Kenya’s first case.

Countries outside the affected areas have increased precautions. Ghana strengthened airport screening and will monitor arriving travellers from affected areas for 21 days, while South Africa designated 36 hospitals to receive suspected patients. Ghana and South Africa had reported no confirmed cases.