Kenya has recorded its first confirmed case and death from Ebola after a Kenyan national who had spent about seven years in the Democratic Republic of Congo died in Nairobi.
The country’s Health Minister, Aden Duale, disclosed the development, saying the patient had fallen ill about a month ago and received treatment at different hospitals in the Democratic Republic of Congo before travelling to Kenya.
According to the minister, the patient travelled by road from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Kampala, Uganda, and later flew to Nairobi on Saturday.
The patient reportedly underwent routine health screening on arrival at Nairobi’s main airport before being taken to a hospital by a relative.
After admission at Nairobi Hospital, the patient was later moved to an isolation facility established during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Duale said the patient presented with several symptoms associated with viral haemorrhagic fever.
He stated, “Doctors suspected a viral haemorrhagic fever based on his symptoms and travel history and collected samples for testing.”
The minister added that laboratory analysis confirmed the infection as the Ebola Bundibugyo virus.
He said the patient died at about 11:30 p.m. on Monday, with health authorities arranging the burial under established public health protocols.
Kenyan authorities have so far identified at least 28 people who had contact with the deceased, including relatives and healthcare workers.
Officials are also tracing 23 passengers and four crew members who were on the flight that brought the patient to Nairobi.
The latest outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, a relatively uncommon variant of the virus.
The World Health Organisation says the Bundibugyo species has recorded more than 8,400 cases and over 4,000 deaths since it was first identified.
The Democratic Republic of Congo declared an Ebola outbreak in May, while Uganda subsequently reported cases that resulted in two deaths.
Although the WHO declared Uganda free of the disease in August, new cases have since been reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
