Kenya has confirmed its first Ebola case after a Kenyan citizen who travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) died in Nairobi.
The development makes Kenya the third country to record a case linked to the Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo, which is the second-largest Ebola outbreak on record.
The patient had been ill for about a month before travelling by road from Congo to Uganda’s capital, Kampala, and later flying to Nairobi on Saturday, Health Minister Aden Duale said at a news conference.
After arriving at Nairobi’s international airport, the man passed through health screening before a relative took him to Nairobi Hospital.
He was admitted with fever, chills and bleeding beneath the skin and was quickly placed in isolation, Duale said. He died late on Monday.
Kenya begins contact tracing
Health Ministry Director General Patrick Amoth said medication may have masked the patient’s symptoms, allowing him to pass through airport screening.
Authorities have identified 28 people who came into contact with him in Kenya, including relatives and healthcare workers.
They are also trying to trace 23 passengers and four crew members who were on the Jambojet flight he took to Nairobi.
Duale said the patient was due to be buried on Tuesday under protocols designed to prevent further spread of the virus.
“We have continued to maintain, as a country, a high level of alert for Ebola since the outbreak began in May,” Duale said.
He added that Kenya was well-prepared to respond to Ebola cases.
Ebola outbreak linked to Congo
Uganda previously reported 20 Ebola cases and two deaths linked to the outbreak earlier this year. The country was declared Ebola-free in August.
The outbreak in Congo was declared in mid-May but may have started months earlier. It has infected more than 8,000 people and caused more than 4,000 deaths, according to Reuters.
The outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there is no proven vaccine or treatment.
Ebola spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids from infected people, whether living or dead. Symptoms can include fever, vomiting and diarrhoea, while severe cases can involve internal and external bleeding.
