Kenya Confirms First Ebola Death Amid Regional Outbreak
A Kenyan man, who had been living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, died after traveling to Nairobi with Ebola symptoms.
Kenyan health officials confirmed the country's first Ebola death on Tuesday, a case linked to the ongoing outbreak in the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The deceased was a 40-year-old Kenyan man who had resided in the DRC for seven years.
According to the Ministry of Health, the patient traveled from Buta, a city in the northwestern DRC, to Kampala, the capital of Uganda, by road. He then took a Jambo Jet flight to Nairobi, Kenya, arriving on Saturday, October 3. Upon arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, he underwent public health screening before being taken by a friend to Nairobi Hospital. He was subsequently isolated and transferred to an isolation facility.
The patient presented with symptoms including fever, chills, fatigue, weakness, muscle pain, sore throat, and painful swallowing. A sample collected from him tested positive for Ebola, specifically the Bundibugyo virus variant responsible for the current DRC outbreak, for which no vaccines or treatments are available.
Health officials believe the patient may have attempted to mask his symptoms, potentially with medication, which could have allowed him to pass through airport screening systems. The patient received supportive treatment but died on Monday evening. His burial is scheduled to take place later on Tuesday, adhering to safe and dignified public health protocols for Ebola.
Kenyan authorities have identified 28 contacts of the patient, including family members and healthcare workers. Efforts are underway to trace 23 more passengers and four crew members who were on the same flight. Arrangements for quarantine have been prepared for those deemed at risk.
Health officials are collaborating with neighboring countries, including Uganda, and the World Health Organization (WHO) to monitor and mitigate the spread of the virus. "We continue to maintain a heightened state of alert, and what is important for us is to be able to pick up the disease when it arrives within our borders, and ensure that we prevent community transmission," said Dr. Patrick Amoth, director general for health in Kenya's Ministry of Health.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is working with national and county governments to support screening, contact tracing, information sharing, and infection prevention measures. As of October 3, the DRC had reported 8,854 Ebola cases and 4,114 deaths, with a case fatality rate of 48.2%.