Kenya has confirmed its first Ebola case and death, involving a Kenyan citizen who had been living in the Democratic Republic of Congo for the past seven years, Health Minister Aden Duale announced.
The patient fell ill approximately one month ago and was treated at several hospitals in DRC before travelling to Nairobi. He boarded a flight on Saturday and underwent standard public health screening at Nairobi's main airport before being transferred by a relative to a hospital in the city.
Duale said the patient first travelled by road from DRC to the Ugandan capital, Kampala, where he boarded a flight to Nairobi. After arriving at Nairobi Hospital, he was transferred to an isolation facility originally built during the Covid-19 pandemic.
"Doctors suspected a viral haemorrhagic fever based on his symptoms and travel history and collected samples for testing. The sample tested positive for Ebola Bundibugyo virus," Duale said.
The patient developed fever, chills, intense fatigue and weakness, painful swallowing, muscle pain, and bleeding under the skin. He died at 23:30 local time (20:30 GMT) on Monday. His burial was planned for Tuesday in line with public health safety protocols.
At least 28 contacts have been identified, including family members and healthcare workers. Authorities are also tracing a further 23 passengers and four crew members who travelled on the same flight.
The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, a relatively rare strain. The WHO has recorded 4,082 deaths out of 8,463 cases since the species emerged. There are no approved vaccines or treatments for this strain.
DRC declared the outbreak in mid-May, though reports indicate it may have begun months earlier. The country has recorded more than 8,000 cases and over 4,000 deaths, making it the second deadliest known Ebola outbreak on record.
The outbreak previously spread to Uganda, which reported 20 cases and two deaths. The WHO declared Uganda free of the disease in August. Since then, all confirmed cases have been recorded in DRC — until now.
Ebola spreads through direct contact with the body fluids of infected people, living or dead. It can cause fever, vomiting, diarrhoea and, in severe cases, internal and external bleeding.
