Ebola outbreak: First patient in DR Congo declared recovered

In a significant development amid the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the World Health Organization (WHO) has announced the first confirmed recovery of a patient. The DRC's health authorities reported that an individual, who had tested negative for the virus twice, was discharged from a treatment center on Wednesday.

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The central African country announced that a patient had recovered on Wednesday and had left the hospital.

This marks the first patient to be sent home since the epidemic began. The current Ebola outbreak was first registered on May 15 in the Ituri province of northeastern DRC, with neighboring Uganda also affected. The Africa CDC has recorded a total of 1,077 suspected cases, including 246 deaths.

In a separate but related development, a Kenyan court has issued a temporary injunction against the planned opening of a US-funded Ebola quarantine center in the country. The High Court, which handles human rights issues, ruled that the Kenyan government cannot approve any center for the quarantine or treatment of Ebola patients founded by the US or other nations on Kenyan soil until further notice.

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It is the first person to be sent home from a treatment center after two negative tests since the beginning of the epidemic.

The Africa CDC had previously warned that such a facility could place "additional pressure" on Kenya's already strained healthcare system. The court's decision halts the establishment of the center for the time being, pending further review.

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The planned facility could exert 'additional pressure' on the Kenyan health system.