Kenya confirms first Ebola death as outbreak spreads

Kenya has confirmed its first Ebola case and death, as a Kenyan national who had been living in the Democratic Republic of Congo for seven years passed away in Nairobi. The patient, who fell ill about a month ago, received treatment at several hospitals in the Democratic Republic of Congo before travelling to Kenya. The patient developed symptoms such as fever, chills, intense fatigue, painful swallowing, muscle pain, and bleeding under the skin, which led to suspicion of a viral haemorrhagic fever.

After being admitted to Nairobi Hospital, the patient was transferred to an isolation facility and later died at 11:30 pm on Monday. Health authorities have identified at least 28 contacts of the patient and are tracing 23 passengers and four crew members who travelled on the same flight. The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, a relatively rare strain for which there is currently no approved vaccine or treatment.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.