Kenya has confirmed its first Ebola case and death after a citizen who had been living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) died shortly after returning to the country.
Health Minister Aden Duale announced the case on Tuesday, saying the man had travelled from the DRC through Uganda before arriving in Nairobi on October 3.
The man, whose identity was not disclosed, had reportedly fallen ill about a month earlier and received treatment in the DRC. His condition included fever, chills, severe fatigue, weakness, muscle pain, painful swallowing, sore throat and bleeding at injection sites.
Duale said the man was later tested and confirmed to have Ebola before dying at about 11:30pm.
Kenyan health authorities have identified 28 people who had contact with the deceased, including relatives and healthcare workers. Duale said one of those contacts had so far tested positive.
Authorities are also tracing 27 other people who travelled on the same flight to Nairobi, including 23 passengers and four crew members. Officials have prepared quarantine arrangements for people considered to have been exposed to the virus.
Duale urged Kenyans not to panic, saying the government had activated measures to contain the disease and prevent further transmission.
A safe and dignified burial for the deceased was also being arranged in accordance with public health protocols, the minister said.
Kenya had never previously recorded an Ebola case. The development comes as the DRC continues to battle its latest outbreak, which has also raised concerns in neighbouring countries.
Uganda, which borders both Kenya and the DRC, recorded 20 Ebola cases during its latest outbreak, most involving people who had travelled from the DRC. Two people died before Uganda was declared Ebola-free in August.
The World Health Organization reported that, as of October 2, the DRC had recorded 8,463 Ebola cases and 4,082 deaths since the emergence of the Bundibugyo strain there.
The current outbreak began in the north-eastern Ituri province and has spread to seven provinces across the country’s north and east.
The response has been complicated by insecurity and armed violence in parts of the DRC, as well as shortages of resources and healthcare capacity.
Médecins Sans Frontières warned on Monday of an “alarming surge” in Ebola cases in North Kivu province, which borders Uganda.
Kenya had also faced public opposition earlier this year over government plans to establish an Ebola treatment facility at Laikipia airbase, located about 125 miles from Nairobi.
With the country’s first confirmed case now recorded, health authorities are focusing on tracing contacts, monitoring those exposed and preventing the virus from spreading further.
