A gloved laboratory worker holds a blood sample tube labelled for Ebola virus testing, illustrating the laboratory procedures used in investigating suspected infections and supporting outbreak surveillance. Photo: Addis Standard. 

NNA News - Ethiopia is strengthening measures to prevent the spread of Ebola into the country after neighbouring Kenya confirmed eight cases of the virus, prompting heightened regional surveillance and public health preparedness.

Ethiopia’s Ministry of Health said on Sunday that it was coordinating with the Ethiopian Public Health Institute, regional health bureaus and partner organisations to strengthen prevention measures and prepare for a rapid response should an infection be detected.

According to the ministry, health screening is being conducted at air and land entry points, while laboratory testing capacity, isolation facilities, rapid response teams and disease surveillance systems are being strengthened. Health professionals are also screening and monitoring travellers arriving from countries affected by the outbreak.

The preparations come as Kenya’s confirmed cases of Bundibugyo Ebola virus disease reached eight by Monday, according to reports citing Kenyan health authorities. The latest patient was a 49-year-old man who had attended to the country’s first confirmed case and was already in quarantine when he tested positive.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has been supporting Kenya’s response, including contact tracing, laboratory testing, patient care and infection prevention.

“Being quarantined means the family and the general public are better protected from exposure to the virus, hence reducing chances of community transmission,” said Dr Neema Rusibamayila Kimambo, WHO representative to Kenya, in a statement issued on 16 October.

Kenya’s Director-General for Health, Dr Patrick Amoth, described the detection of additional cases among monitored contacts as evidence that response measures were functioning as intended.

“This is the response working as designed,” Amoth said.

The WHO said Kenya’s second and third confirmed cases had been identified while the patients were already in quarantine and undergoing daily checks. It reported that 127 of the 130 identified contacts were in quarantine as of 16 October, with monitoring scheduled for 21 days after exposure. The agency subsequently reported that Kenya had recorded eight cases by 19 October.

“The two new cases have been detected early because they were already in quarantine and were being checked every day,” Kimambo said in the WHO statement, referring to the cases confirmed on 14 and 16 October.

Ebola is transmitted through direct contact with the blood or other bodily fluids of an infected person, or with contaminated objects. Early symptoms can include fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headache and sore throat, while vomiting and other serious symptoms may develop later. The WHO says the virus is not transmitted through the air.

Ethiopia’s health ministry has urged the public to remain vigilant and report suspected cases to health authorities. Its preparedness measures are intended to support early detection and rapid intervention if an infection is identified.

The situation also underlines the importance of cross-border coordination as health authorities work to contain the outbreak in the region. The WHO has advised against travel or trade restrictions, instead emphasising surveillance, early diagnosis and coordinated public health responses.