Woman, 65, becomes second patient to die of Ebola in Kenya
She was a close family member of the first victim, a man who had travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Woman, 65, becomes second patient to die of Ebola in Kenya
Kenya has reported its second Ebola death as it deals with its first-ever outbreak of the disease.
The health ministry said a 65-year-old woman, a close family member of the first victim, a man who had travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo, died after being put in quarantine.
It added that seven other Ebola patients were being treated at two isolation facilities.
According to the ministry, all the cases were part of "one cluster, with no evidence of community spread".
Since Ebola was confirmed in DR Congo in May, more than 4,000 people have died across Africa, making it the second deadliest outbreak of the disease.
Kenya's latest victim was a "direct contact and close family member of the first case (deceased) and was under quarantine when she developed symptoms" on 13 October, the health ministry said.
The first death, on 5 October, was a man who became ill in September and was treated at several hospitals in DR Congo before reaching the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, where he died a few days later.
Those still under treatment include three other relatives of the first victim, three health workers and a hospital cleaner.
The US has warned its citizens not to travel to Kenya, while neighbouring countries including Uganda, Ethiopia and Somalia are also on alert.
As the illness advances, vomiting and diarrhoea appear and it can result in organ failure. Some, though not all, patients develop internal and external bleeding.
The disease is transmitted from person to person through contact with infected bodily fluids such as blood or vomit.
The Bundibugyo strain of Ebola is relatively uncommon, with no approved vaccine or treatment, although trials are under way.
With more than 9,500 cases in DR Congo, Kenya faces an ongoing risk of new cases crossing its borders, according to the International Rescue Committee, which has been working with both governments to contain the spread.
Kenya has stepped up screening for travellers arriving from DR Congo and nine other countries it regards as high risk: Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Angola, Zambia, Ethiopia, South Sudan and the Central African Republic.
Travellers from those countries must fill out a digital surveillance form before boarding their flights and show a QR code to port health officials on arrival.
Kenya has also ordered enhanced public health screening of aircraft arriving from those countries as authorities try to stop further imported cases.
Inside the country, the government has been issuing public messages to raise awareness about Ebola, including urging people to report any suspected cases quickly and seek hospital care.
It has also concentrated on hygiene and safety measures, such as handwashing and avoiding close contact with sick people.
In another development, Nigeria's health minister said the country's single confirmed Ebola case appears to be genetically linked to a strain identified earlier in Kenya.
Professor Ali Pate said there was no evidence so far that the Kenyan patient had travelled to Nigeria, but that further testing was continuing.
He stressed that Nigeria had so far recorded only one confirmed case of the virus.
"We are conducting additional tests. Some of the results are negative, while others are pending," Pate said.
Health officials have been investigating whether Nigeria's first case crossed paths with Kenya's first patient. Both are believed to have travelled through Uganda's Entebbe International Airport earlier this month.