Kenya Confirms First Ebola Death as Outbreak Spreads from DR Congo
Health officials trace 28 contacts after patient dies in Nairobi; authorities urge calm as surveillance intensifies
Kenya has confirmed its first-ever case of Ebola, marking a significant development in the ongoing outbreak that has devastated neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo.
Health Minister Aden Duale announced that a Kenyan citizen who had been living in DR Congo for seven years died Monday night after testing positive for the Bundibugyo species of the virus. The patient, who fell ill approximately one month ago, had been treated at several hospitals in DR Congo before travelling to Nairobi.
Patient’s Journey and Death
According to Duale, the patient travelled by road from DR Congo to Uganda’s capital, Kampala, where he boarded a flight to Nairobi on Saturday. He underwent normal public screening at Nairobi’s main airport before being transferred by a relative to a city hospital.
The patient was later moved to an isolation facility constructed during the Covid-19 pandemic, where he “developed fever, chills, intense fatigue and weakness, painful swallowing, muscle pain and bleeding under the skin,” Duale said.
“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,” the minister confirmed.
The patient died at 23:30 local time (20:30 GMT) on Monday and was buried Tuesday in line with public health safety protocols. The Kenyan Red Cross Society oversaw the burial.
Contact Tracing Underway
At least 28 contacts, including family members and healthcare workers, have been identified. Health authorities are additionally tracing 23 passengers and four crew members who travelled on the same flight.
A senior health ministry official suggested the patient may have passed airport screening because medication he was taking masked his symptoms.
Government Response
Kenya’s health ministry has stepped up surveillance at airports and border crossings. The minister urged Kenyans “not to panic, as all systems are in place to mitigate the spread of the disease,” and asked health workers to be “extra vigilant and maintain the highest infection prevention and control measures regardless of the condition being treated.”
Regional Outbreak Context
More than 4,000 people have died from Ebola in DR Congo this year in what the World Health Organization has recorded as the second most deadly known outbreak of the disease. The WHO has documented 4,114 deaths out of 8,544 cases, making it the largest ever recorded in DR Congo, where Ebola was first discovered in 1976.
The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo species, which is relatively rare. There are currently no approved vaccines or treatments for this strain, though four vaccines are in development, with human trials for one launched in July.
Shortly after DR Congo declared the outbreak in May, Uganda reported two deaths from the disease. The WHO declared Uganda free of Ebola in August, and since then all known cases have been in DR Congo.
Crisis in Eastern DR Congo
Medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières warned Monday that the virus is spreading “like a megafire,” with new hotspots emerging in North Kivu province, which borders Ituri where the outbreak began.
Since early September, the situation has “intensified dramatically,” with North Kivu now accounting for nearly 40% of all newly confirmed cases nationwide, MSF said. The charity believes the actual toll could be higher due to gaps in surveillance and testing in the war-torn country.
Eastern DR Congo has been plagued by decades of conflict, with multiple rebel groups operating amid ethnic tensions and fighting for political power and control of natural resources. The crisis has displaced millions and hampered the country’s ability to maintain functional healthcare systems.
This article was compiled from reporting by BBC Africa.
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