Kenya confirms its first imported Ebola case after a traveler from Congo died in Nairobi, prompting authorities to trace dozens of contacts.
Kenya has confirmed its first imported Ebola case after a Kenyan citizen who traveled from Congo via Uganda died while receiving treatment in Nairobi, Health Minister Aden Duale said Tuesday.
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The patient arrived in Kenya on Saturday and was admitted to Nairobi Hospital, where the person was isolated and treated after developing symptoms associated with hemorrhagic fever. Tests later confirmed the Ebola virus. The patient died late Monday while receiving treatment.
Kenyan authorities have placed the country on high alert and are monitoring for possible additional cases.
Twenty-eight contacts have been identified, including family members and health workers who cared for the patient, Duale said. Authorities are also tracing 23 passengers who traveled on the same flight from Uganda.
The contacts will remain in isolation for 21 days and will be released after testing negative for the virus, said Patrick Amoth, director of Kenya’s Health Ministry.
❗️Ebola outbreak reaches Kenya as it confirms its first case and death — Reuters
A Kenyan citizen returning from the Democratic Republic of Congo on Saturday died after being confirmed infected
Authorities have identified 28 contacts, including family and health workers pic.twitter.com/y0S5LQkMKe
— RT Intl (@RT_on_X) October 6, 2026
The patient will be buried within 24 hours in accordance with recommended public safety protocols.
Kenya is the fourth country to record an Ebola case in the current outbreak, which was declared in eastern Congo in mid-May. Uganda has recorded 20 cases and France one.
Before Kenya reported its case, there had been no active Ebola cases outside Congo since Uganda declared its outbreak over in late August.
The current outbreak is described as the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak in history. The World Health Organization has warned it could become the deadliest as the spread of the virus continues to outpace efforts to track and contain it.
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