Ebola: 20 contacts released from quarantine in Kenya, amid vaccine ‘hope’ in DR Congo

They were discharged on Monday, according to the UN World Health Organization (WHO), which has been assisting the Kenyan authorities with Ebola preparedness since the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) declared an outbreak on 15 May.  

Another 98 contacts remain in quarantine. 

The people who are now back at home remained asymptomatic during quarantine and underwent standard protocols, including a final health assessment, counselling on post-discharge precautions and follow-up where required before being released. 

“We ask communities to welcome them home warmly,” said Dr Patrick Amoth, Kenya’s director general for health. “Having completed 21 days without symptoms, they pose no risk of infection to anyone.” 

The WHO representative to Kenya, Dr Neema Rusibamayila Kimambo, echoed his message. 

“People who complete quarantine have helped protect their families, their communities and the whole country,” she said.  

Kenya confirmed its first Ebola case on 6 October – a Kenyan man who had been working in the DRC, where the caseload is approaching the 10,000 mark. 

He flew back to Kenya via Uganda on 3 October and died in a Nairobi hospital two days later. 

The Ministry of Health conducted robust contact tracing of anyone who may have been exposed, including family members, airline passengers and crew, airport workers and medical personnel. By 22 October, all contacts were traced – both in Kenya and abroad – and placed in quarantine.   

As of Monday, eight contacts had developed symptoms and were confirmed positive for Ebola disease through laboratory testing. They were immediately transferred to the Ebola treatment centre in Nairobi.  

In total, Kenya has reported nine confirmed Ebola cases and two deaths. All are part of one connected group and there is no evidence that the virus has spread to the community.   

“WHO commends the Ministry of Health, the Kenya National Public Health Institute, national and county health teams for their work in responding quickly to every new case,” said Dr. Kimambo. 

The UN agency continues to support Kenya in all aspects of Ebola response, including coordination, disease surveillance, contact tracing, laboratory testing, case management, infection prevention and control, health screening at points of entry, risk communication and community engagement. 

Although there is no licensed vaccine or specific treatment for Bundibugyo virus disease, WHO stressed that early detection and supportive care improve chances of recovery.  

Meanwhile, “a crucial clinical trial” was launched in the DRC on Friday to determine if vaccines can provide protection against the disease, said WHO’s Dr. Meg Doherty, speaking from the eastern city of Bunia to journalists in Geneva. 

The TUMAINI trial platform is designed so that several vaccine candidates can be evaluated within one research framework using a strategy called the ring vaccination approach involving contacts of people with a confirmed case of Ebola. 

“Tumaini actually means ‘hope’ in Swahili, and is giving us some hope,” said Dr. Doherty, director of WHO’s Department of Science for Health. 

The first vaccine under evaluation is Ervebo which has been effective against Ebola caused by the Zaire virus. It is not yet known if it will have any protective effect against the Bundibugyo strain. 

Dr. Doherty attended the launch, where four people were vaccinated. 

“It was moving to see this trial begin, just as it has been deeply sad to see the effect of this outbreak on communities,” she said.   

“I lived and worked in DRC nearly 40 years ago, and it is quite heartbreaking to see this beautiful country challenged by outbreaks on top of humanitarian crises.” 

Last week, WHO convened technical advisory groups that evaluated the evidence on two vaccines designed specifically against Bundibugyo virus: ChAdOx1, developed by the University of Oxford with the Serum Institute of India, and mRNA-1469 developed by the American company Moderna. 

Recommendations will be published this week. 

“In the meantime, rings are being set up, with people who have a family member sick with Ebola, or who have been exposed to the virus another way,” she said, noting that two rings are currently in place and several more are being prepared. 

“Community members are already walking into the site asking to be enrolled, highlighting the intense need for an efficacious vaccine,” she added. 

Dr. Doherty explained that a decade ago, WHO and partners used the ring vaccination approach in Guinea during the West African Ebola outbreak to help establish the efficacy of the Ervebo vaccine.  

“Today, scientists are building on that experience to seek answers about the Bundibugyo virus,” she said. 

The trial is led by the Congolese authorities and is integrated into the ongoing response to the outbreak. It is being managed by the National Public Health and Biomedical Research Institute, known by the French acronym IRNRB.  

“We do not yet know for certain when results will begin to emerge. We expect it will take several months,” she said. 

“But already, having this trial in place is an important step towards gathering scientific data that will help policy makers reach decisions on vaccine use, and we anticipate, to protect people in this outbreak and future outbreaks.” 

Dr Doherty noted that several other vaccines are under development, “and as they go through their initial studies, if they look promising, they too could be brought into this vaccine platform trial.”