Kenya’s first Ebola case: What happened, who is at risk and what happens next

NAIROBI, Kenya Oct 6 – Kenya has confirmed its first imported case of Ebola after a Kenyan citizen who had been living in the Democratic Republic of Congo travelled through Uganda and arrived in Nairobi.

The patient, who had lived in the DRC for seven years, died at a Nairobi hospital on Monday night after testing positive for Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease.

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale confirmed the case on Tuesday, saying the government had activated measures to prevent further transmission and was tracing people who may have come into contact with the patient.

“The Ministry of Health wishes to inform members of the public that it has confirmed the first imported case of Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease,” Duale said.

So far, 28 contacts have been identified, including family members and healthcare workers who attended to the patient.

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

What happened?

The patient had been living in the DRC for the past seven years and fell ill about a month before returning to Kenya.

According to Duale, he received treatment at several health facilities in the DRC before travelling by road to Kampala, Uganda.

He then boarded a Jambojet flight to Nairobi and arrived at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport at about 1.10pm on Saturday, October 3.

The patient underwent routine public health screening at JKIA before proceeding through immigration.

He was then picked up by a relative and a friend and taken directly to Nairobi Hospital, where he was immediately isolated.

At the hospital, he was later transferred to the East Wing Isolation Facility, which had previously been used during the COVID-19 pandemic and has intensive and high-dependency care capacity.

The patient presented with fever, chills, intense fatigue, weakness, muscle pain, painful swallowing, a sore throat and bleeding under the skin at the injection site.

“Based on the above presentation and history of travel to DRC, the doctor collected the sample for testing, and it turned positive for Ebola,” Duale said.

He was given supportive treatment but died at about 11.30pm on Monday.

“The patient was given supportive treatment but regrettably passed on last night at 11.30 pm,” Duale said.

The government has said arrangements for a safe and dignified burial are being made in line with Ebola public health protocols.

Who is at risk?

The immediate focus is now on contact tracing.

Duale said 28 contacts had been identified, including relatives and healthcare workers who attended to the patient.

“So far, we have listed 28 contacts of the deceased, including family members and healthcare workers who attended to the deceased,” he said.

“We are also pursuing a further 23 passengers and four crew members who were on the same flight with the deceased.”

Authorities have prepared quarantine facilities for people considered to be at risk.

It is important to note that being identified as a contact does not mean that someone has Ebola.

Contact tracing is a public-health measure used to identify people who may have been exposed, monitor them for symptoms and ensure they receive medical attention if they become unwell.

The contacts will be monitored during the incubation period, with authorities working to establish whether there has been any secondary transmission.

So far, Duale said, only one test has returned positive.

“Only one test has turned positive, and is the one that we have just discussed,” he said.

Can Kenya contain the virus?

The confirmation of Kenya’s first imported case puts the country’s Ebola preparedness measures to their first major test.

Kenya had already heightened surveillance following the outbreak in the DRC and Uganda, including screening at airports and land borders and strengthening laboratory and health facility preparedness.

Duale said Kenya had screened 652,584 travellers and tested 267 samples across five laboratories since the country began its enhanced Ebola surveillance.

He said 4,971 healthcare workers at both county and national levels had also been trained on Ebola response.

The government has also placed border points on heightened alert and is monitoring for possible additional cases.

The key questions now are whether Kenya has sufficient isolation capacity, protective equipment and trained personnel to manage additional suspected cases, and whether the country’s laboratory system can continue testing suspected cases quickly.

What should Kenyans know about Ebola?

Ebola is a viral disease that can cause severe illness and is transmitted primarily through direct contact with the blood or other bodily fluids of an infected person.

Symptoms can include fever, weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat, followed by symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhoea, rash and, in severe cases, bleeding.

But the confirmation of one imported case does not mean that Ebola is circulating widely in Kenya.

People who travelled on the same aircraft as the patient are being traced because authorities need to establish whether they had any exposure and monitor them appropriately.

Kenyans should also avoid spreading unverified information about suspected cases, hospitals or individuals.

Anyone who develops concerning symptoms and has recently travelled from an Ebola-affected area should seek medical attention and disclose their travel history to healthcare workers.

What does this mean for travel?

The government has not announced a general travel restriction following the confirmation of the case.

Instead, the response is focused on surveillance, contact tracing and containment.

The patient’s journey from the DRC through Uganda to Kenya highlights the difficulty of controlling infectious diseases in a region where people regularly cross borders for work, trade, family and other reasons.

Kenya’s border points therefore remain an important part of the response.

The government will need to maintain surveillance at JKIA and land crossings while ensuring that travellers understand what symptoms to look out for and when to seek medical attention.

What happens next?

The next phase of Kenya’s response will centre on contact tracing, monitoring and testing.

Authorities will continue searching for the passengers and crew members who travelled with the patient, monitor the 28 identified contacts and investigate the patient’s movements before and after his arrival in Kenya.

Duale sought to reassure the public that the government has measures in place to contain the situation.

“I wish to assure the public not to panic, as all systems are in place to mitigate the spread of the disease,” he said.

For Kenyans, the message from health authorities is therefore one of vigilance without panic.

Kenya has confirmed its first imported Ebola case, but the immediate priority is to ensure that the case remains contained, identify everyone who may have been exposed and quickly detect any possible secondary infections.

The coming days will be critical in determining whether Kenya’s strengthened surveillance and preparedness systems can prevent further transmission.