Kenya has confirmed a second case of Ebola, ten days after a businessman died of the virus in Nairobi having travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The new patient, a 39-year-old man, is a close relative of the first case. He was already in quarantine when he fell ill on Tuesday, Kenya's health ministry said.

Officials said detecting his illness early improved his chances of recovery and limited the risk of him passing the virus on. They urged the public to "stay calm but vigilant".

"Both cases are linked, and there is no evidence of spread in the wider community," the ministry said. "Kenya remains open, with no restrictions on travel, trade or public gatherings."

The hunt for contacts

The first patient, a 40-year-old Kenyan man, died on 5 October shortly after being admitted to hospital in Nairobi. A relative had driven him there after collecting him from the airport.

Since his death, officials have identified 128 people he had been in contact with. By Tuesday, 113 had been found, and 108 of those were in quarantine in Kenya. The search for the remaining 15 continues.

The incubation period for Ebola ranges from two to 21 days, meaning people who were exposed may not fall ill for several weeks. That is why health officials are treating the coming fortnight as critical.

Missed chances

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has reconstructed the first patient's movements over the six weeks before his death.

It found that he first felt unwell in DR Congo on 15 September and that several opportunities to detect the infection were missed, including during visits to Congolese medical facilities. He then travelled through Uganda to Kenya without being picked up by airport screening.

Health experts say the case shows the limits of relying on temperature checks and self-declaration forms at borders, particularly when travellers may not have a high fever at the moment they pass through.

A rare and deadly strain

More than 4,000 people have died from Ebola in DR Congo this year, making it the second deadliest outbreak on record.

The current outbreak, which began in May, is caused by the Bundibugyo species of the virus. It is relatively rare and, unlike the more common Zaire strain, has no approved vaccine or treatment, although trials are under way.

Shortly after DR Congo declared the outbreak, cases were also reported in Uganda, where two people died. The World Health Organization declared Uganda free of the disease in August.

How it spreads

Ebola spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected people, such as blood or vomit, and through contaminated surfaces and materials. It is not airborne in the way flu or Covid are, which is why careful contact tracing and isolation can stop outbreaks.

Kenya's health ministry said: "Anyone with fever, unusual tiredness, muscle or joint pains, vomiting, diarrhoea or unexplained bleeding should seek care promptly at the nearest health facility."

A regional test

Kenya's response will be closely watched by its neighbours. Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport is one of the busiest in Africa, linking East Africa with Europe, the Gulf and Asia, and officials across the region have stepped up border checks since the first death. Health workers caring for patients face the highest risk of infection, and the ministry says isolation facilities and protective equipment have been reinforced.

What it means for the UK

The UK Health Security Agency has previously said the risk to the UK public from Ebola outbreaks in Africa is very low. NHS hospitals have well-established procedures for isolating and testing anyone who returns from an affected area with symptoms.

For Kenya, East Africa's busiest travel and business hub, the stakes are high. Containing the virus within one family would be a significant public health success. Finding the last 15 contacts may decide whether that happens.