Kenya has confirmed its first imported case of Ebola from the Bundibugyo virus. This comes as the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo continues to spread in the region.
On Tuesday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Office for Africa released a statement. They said the patient was a Kenyan citizen who lived in the DRC and got sick there.
The patient traveled by road to Kampala, Uganda, before flying to Nairobi. After developing symptoms, the patient was isolated. Tests showed the presence of Bundibugyo virus at Kenya’s National Virology Reference Laboratory and the Kenya Medical Research Institute.
Despite receiving care, the patient died on the night of October 5. The burial took place on Tuesday, following Kenya’s Ebola safe and dignified burial protocol, according to WHO.
"The government of Kenya notified WHO of the case in line with the International Health Regulations (2005) on October 6, 2026," the statement noted.
Kenya becomes fourth country affected
WHO confirmed that Kenya is the fourth country to report a case of Bundibugyo virus disease in this outbreak.
The DRC is facing the largest outbreak, while Uganda, where the virus first appeared in 2007, ended its latest outbreak in August. France also reported a travel-related case in June.
WHO stated that most cases in Uganda were imported from the DRC. A smaller number were acquired locally among contacts and health workers connected to imported cases.
In the DRC, the outbreak is still growing. As of September 23, the country had recorded 7,890 confirmed cases and 3,799 deaths, leading to a case fatality rate of 48.1 percent.
The outbreak has affected 63 health zones across seven provinces. Two of the newest affected areas are near other countries. WHO mentioned that this expansion has raised the risk of cross-border transmission.
Kenya traces contacts
After the case was confirmed, Kenyan health officials have identified 28 contacts. This includes family members and health workers who took care of the patient.
They are also tracing 23 passengers and four crew members who were on the same flight as the patient.
Since May, WHO said Kenya has been on high alert due to the Ebola outbreaks in the DRC and Uganda.
As of Tuesday, Kenya has screened over 652,000 travelers entering the country. They have tested 267 suspected samples and trained about 5,000 health workers on Ebola prevention and management.
WHO has provided around 1,000 Ebola tests and 1,000 personal protective equipment kits to high-risk counties in Kenya.
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