Kenya Confirms First Ebola Case Imported From Congo

Kenya's Health Ministry has confirmed the country's first imported Ebola case from Congo. Health Minister Aden Duale announced Tuesday that a Kenyan citizen who arrived in the country on Saturday from Congo via Uganda had been isolated and treated at Nairobi Hospital.

The patient tested positive for the Ebola virus after developing symptoms associated with hemorrhagic fever and died late Monday while receiving treatment. Health authorities have placed the country on high alert and are monitoring for possible additional cases.

Health officials have identified 28 contacts, including family members and healthcare workers who cared for the patient. An additional 23 passengers who traveled on the same flight from Uganda are being traced. These contacts will remain in isolation for 21 days and will be released after testing negative for the virus, according to the ministry’s director, Patrick Amoth. The patient is to be buried within 24 hours in accordance with public safety protocols.

Kenya is the fourth country to record an Ebola case in the current outbreak, which was declared in eastern Congo in mid-May. Uganda reported 20 cases, and France reported one. Before Kenya’s confirmation, there had been no active cases outside Congo since Uganda declared its outbreak over in late August.

The World Health Organization has warned that this outbreak is the fastest-growing in history and could become the deadliest, as it continues to outpace containment efforts. The outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, for which there is no approved vaccine or treatment. Vaccine and treatment trials are underway in Congo’s Ituri province, the outbreak's epicenter.