NAIROBI, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's Ministry of Health on Saturday confirmed four new cases of Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease, bringing the total number of cases to seven, as efforts to prevent community transmission of the disease gathered pace.
The four patients include a close male relative of the first Ebola patient, who died, and three health workers who attended to him while he was in hospital, Patrick Amoth, director-general for health in Kenya's Ministry of Health, said in a statement issued in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital.
"All four individuals developed fever as their first symptom and were immediately isolated, with specimens collected for testing," Amoth said.
"All four tested positive for Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease at both the National Virology Reference Laboratory and the Kenya Medical Research Institute laboratory," he added.
Amoth said all four patients were currently receiving supportive care from trained health personnel, while the risk of their transmitting the virus to their families and the general public remained low because they had been detected early at quarantine facilities.
"The Ministry wishes to reassure Kenyans that the risk to the general public remains low, as there is no evidence of community transmission of the disease," Amoth said.
Kenya reported its first imported case of Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease on Oct. 6 in a man who had lived in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for seven years.
The man died at a hospital in Nairobi while receiving treatment and was later given a safe and dignified burial at a public cemetery to prevent further spread of the virus.
On Wednesday, Kenya reported its second Ebola case, involving a 39-year-old man who was a close relative of the first patient. On Friday, the country announced its third case of Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease, involving a 65-year-old woman who was a primary contact and a close relative of the first and second patients.
Amoth said that of the 130 contacts who may have interacted with the first patient, 128 had been traced and were in quarantine for monitoring through the 21-day incubation period, during which symptoms of Ebola may develop.
He added that all people in quarantine facilities continued to receive mental health and psychosocial support. The country remained open for business, with no restrictions imposed on travel, trade or public gatherings.
