Kenya confirms its first Ebola death as outbreak spreads

Kenya has confirmed its first Ebola case and death linked to the outbreak in DR Congo.

Health Minister Aden Duale said the patient was a Kenyan citizen who had been living in DR Congo for seven years. He fell ill about a month ago and was treated in several hospitals there before returning to Kenya.

The minister said the man travelled by road from DR Congo to Kampala, Uganda, where he boarded a flight to Nairobi on Saturday, October 3. He passed through routine screening at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport before being taken by a relative to Nairobi Hospital.

He was later transferred to an isolation facility built during COVID-19. There he developed fever, chills, intense fatigue, muscle pain, painful swallowing and bleeding under the skin.

Doctors suspected viral haemorrhagic fever due to his symptoms and travel history and collected samples. Tests at the National Virology Reference Laboratory and KEMRI confirmed Ebola Bundibugyo virus.

The patient died at around 11:30 p.m. on Monday. A safe and dignified burial was scheduled for Tuesday under public health protocols.

The Bundibugyo strain is relatively rare and there is currently no approved vaccine or treatment. DR Congo declared the outbreak in May. More than 8,400 cases and over 4,000 deaths have been recorded, making it the second deadliest outbreak on record.

Kenyan authorities have identified 28 contacts including family members and healthcare workers who are being monitored. They are also tracing 23 passengers and four crew members from the Jambojet flight.

Duale urged the public not to panic, saying nearly 5,000 health workers have been trained and screening has been heightened at border points.