Kenya confirms 1st case linked to regional Ebola outbreak; patient dies in Nairobi
Kenya has confirmed its first imported case of Ebola after a man who traveled from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) died in Nairobi, according to health officials. Authorities are tracing his contacts, including passengers and crew on a flight he boarded.
Kenya’s Ministry of Health announced Tuesday that the patient was a Kenyan citizen who had lived in the DRC for seven years. He became ill about a month ago and received treatment at several hospitals there before traveling to Kenya.
The man traveled by road through Beni to Kampala, Uganda, on October 2, then boarded Jambojet flight 8523 to Nairobi. He arrived at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport at 1:10 p.m. Saturday and underwent routine public health screening.
A relative and a friend drove him directly to Nairobi Hospital, where he was isolated in the emergency department before being transferred to a dedicated isolation facility.
His symptoms included fever, chills, severe fatigue and weakness, muscle pain, painful swallowing, a sore throat and bleeding beneath the skin at injection sites. Tests at the National Virology Reference Laboratory and the Kenya Medical Research Institute confirmed Bundibugyo virus disease, a form of Ebola.
Despite supportive treatment, the patient died Monday night. He was buried Tuesday under Ebola safe burial protocols, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Authorities have identified 28 contacts, including family members and health workers who treated him. They are also tracing 23 passengers and four crew members from his flight, with follow-up and quarantine arrangements underway for those assessed to be at risk.
“The priority now is to move swiftly to detect any further cases before the virus has an opportunity to spread,” WHO Regional Director for Africa Mohamed Janabi said.
Kenya joins the DRC, Uganda and France in reporting Bundibugyo virus disease, according to WHO. Most Ugandan cases were imported from the DRC, with additional infections among contacts and health workers. France reported a travel-related case in June.
WBC24’s latest tally lists 8,625 confirmed cases, 4,151 deaths and 2,254 recoveries across the four countries. The DRC accounts for 8,603 cases and 4,148 deaths, while Uganda recorded 20 cases and two deaths. France and Kenya have each confirmed one case, with one recovery and one death respectively.
Kenya has been on high alert since the outbreak began in May. As of Tuesday, authorities had screened 652,584 travelers, tested 267 samples and trained 4,971 health workers in Ebola prevention and management, the ministry said.
The ministry advised people to avoid close contact with sick travelers from countries reporting active Ebola transmission and seek care at a recognized health facility if unwell. Health workers were told to maintain strict infection prevention measures.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
