Kenyan officials have confirmed the first case of Ebola imported from Congo, marking Kenya as the latest country affected by the rapidly spreading outbreak. Health Minister Aden Duale disclosed that a Kenyan citizen, who had recently traveled from Congo via Uganda, was isolated and treated at Nairobi Hospital. The individual tested positive for Ebola and passed away on Monday.
Ebola, a highly contagious virus, spreads through contact with bodily fluids like blood, vomit, or semen, as well as contaminated surfaces such as clothing and bedding. The current outbreak began in a remote area of eastern Congo in mid-May, with over 8,400 cases and 4,000 deaths reported, making it the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak in history.
Kenya, previously Ebola-free according to the Kenya Medical Research Institute, has initiated contact tracing efforts for dozens of individuals associated with the patient. Health Minister Duale stated that Kenya has trained approximately 5,000 healthcare workers nationwide to handle Ebola cases effectively.
This marks Kenya as the fourth country reporting an Ebola case in the ongoing outbreak, following Uganda with 20 cases and France with one. Prior to Kenya’s confirmation, no active cases were reported outside Congo since Uganda declared its outbreak over in late August.
Kenyan health authorities are on high alert at border points and are closely monitoring for any potential new cases. Efforts are underway to trace 23 passengers who traveled on the same flight from Uganda as the infected individual. The contacts identified will remain isolated for 21 days and released upon testing negative for the virus.
The patient, who had lived in Congo for seven years and fell ill a month ago, received treatment in various hospitals before traveling to Nairobi via Kampala. The patient’s relatives transported him to Nairobi Hospital, where he was promptly isolated. The patient will be buried following recommended safety protocols within 24 hours.
Kenya has conducted 267 tests across five laboratories since May before confirming this first case. In Congo, where the outbreak has spread to seven provinces, responders face various challenges including attacks on health teams, misinformation, failure to report symptoms, and rebel violence, hindering access to treatment centers.
Doctors Without Borders described the situation in Congo as akin to battling a massive fire, with multiple outbreaks of varying intensity in different locations. The World Health Organization has warned that this outbreak could surpass the deadliest Ebola outbreak in history, which claimed 11,000 lives in West Africa over a decade ago.