Kenya Confirms First Ebola Case After Patient’s Death in Nairobi

Kenya has confirmed its first Ebola case following the death in Nairobi of a Kenyan national who had returned from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Health authorities are carrying out contact tracing and isolation measures after the patient travelled from the DRC by road to Kampala, Uganda, before flying to Nairobi on Saturday.

Aden Duale, Kenya’s health secretary, said the patient had lived in the DRC for seven years and had been ill for about a month before travelling.

Contacts placed in quarantine

President William Ruto said at least eight family members of the victim and 21 healthcare workers had been quarantined. Duale separately reported that 28 contacts, including family members and healthcare workers, had been identified.

Authorities were also tracing 23 passengers and four crew members who travelled on the same flight from Uganda to Nairobi.

Patrick Amoth, director-general of Kenya’s Ministry of Health, said contacts would remain in isolation for 21 days. Those who tested negative for the virus would be released, he said.

Ruto has ordered an enhanced response to contain the virus in Kenya.

Regional outbreak continues

The case comes as the DRC continues to deal with an Ebola outbreak that was officially declared on May 15 and described as the country’s 17th. Figures attributed to the DRC government put the number of confirmed cases at 8,300 across seven provinces, with more than 4,000 deaths.

The outbreak has been described as the worst Ebola epidemic in the DRC’s history. The World Health Organization has warned that the epidemic is “far from over” and is on track to surpass the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, which killed more than 11,000 people, primarily in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Uganda reported 20 cases and two deaths earlier in the year before being declared Ebola-free in August. The United Nations has advised against imposing travel and trade restrictions on Kenya, the DRC and Uganda.