Kenya confirms first Ebola case and death
A Kenyan citizen who had been living in Congo became the country's first confirmed case and death from the virus.
NAIROBI, Kenya -- A Kenyan citizen who had been living in Congo before returning to Nairobi over the weekend has become Kenya’s first confirmed case of Ebola and the country’s first death from the disease in the fast-moving outbreak, authorities announced Tuesday.
The man had resided in Congo for seven years and fell ill about a month ago. He was treated at various hospitals before traveling by road to Kampala, Uganda, where he boarded a flight to the Kenyan capital, arriving on Saturday. Health Minister Aden Duale said.
Health authorities in Kenya have placed the country’s border points on high alert and are monitoring for possible additional cases. The man was isolated and treated at Nairobi Hospital, where he tested positive for the Ebola virus and died late Monday.
Ebola is highly contagious and spreads through contact with bodily fluids such as vomit, blood or semen, and with contaminated surfaces and materials like bedding and clothing.
The current outbreak was declared in mid-May in a remote part of eastern Congo. At least 8,400 cases have been recorded, including more than 4,000 deaths, according to government data, making it the fastest-growing outbreak of the disease in history. Kenya has never had an outbreak of Ebola.
Kenya is the fourth country to record an Ebola case in the current outbreak, which was declared in eastern Congo in mid-May. Uganda has recorded 20 cases and France one. Before Kenya reported its case, there had been no active cases outside Congo since Uganda declared its outbreak over in late August.
Duale stated that 28 contacts of the deceased man, including family members and health workers who cared for him, had been identified. Another 23 passengers on the flight and four crew members who traveled on the same plane from Uganda were being traced. The contacts will remain in isolation for 21 days and will be released after testing negative for the virus, said the ministry’s director-general, Dr. Patrick Amoth.
After the man arrived in Nairobi, his relatives took him in a private vehicle to Nairobi Hospital, where he was immediately isolated. He was buried on Tuesday afternoon in accordance with recommended public safety protocols.
The World Health Organization is working with Kenya to prevent the spread of the virus and has delivered approximately 1,000 Ebola tests and 1,000 personal protective equipment kits to high-risk counties in Kenya.
The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention commended the “rapid identification, isolation and testing of the patient” and said a high-level team had been dispatched to Kenya to offer support.
In Congo, responders have faced challenges including attacks on health teams, misinformation about the virus, and rebel violence that has limited access to treatment centers. The World Health Organization has warned that the current outbreak could surpass the deadliest Ebola outbreak in history, which erupted more than a decade ago and killed more than 11,000 people in West Africa.