Kenya confirms first Ebola case imported from Congo, patient has died

Kenya has announced its first confirmed case of Ebola imported from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The patient, a Kenyan citizen who had been residing in the DRC, arrived in Nairobi on Saturday and has since passed away. Health Minister Aden Duale informed a press conference that 28 contacts have been identified, including family members and healthcare workers, and only one test has come back positive so far.

The patient fell ill around a month ago and received treatment in the DRC before traveling overland to Kampala and then flying to Nairobi on October 3. Duale assured the public not to panic, stating that all necessary measures are in place to control the spread of the disease. This marks the first instance of Ebola in Kenya, which has never previously recorded a case.

Meanwhile, the DRC is grappling with its largest-ever Ebola outbreak, caused by the rare Bundibugyo species, with over 8,000 cases and more than 4,000 deaths. The outbreak, declared in mid-May, has so far eluded containment efforts, spreading to neighboring Uganda which reported 20 cases and two deaths. Uganda was declared Ebola-free in August.

Ebola spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids of infected individuals, causing symptoms such as fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and in severe cases, internal and external bleeding. Over the past 50 years, Ebola has killed more than 15,000 people in Africa.