Kenya reports first-ever Ebola death after patient returns from DR Congo
Kenya on Tuesday reported its first-ever Ebola death after a Kenyan national who had been living in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) died after returning to the country. Kenya is the fourth country to record an Ebola case in the current outbreak, which was declared in eastern DR Congo in mid-May.
Nairobi, Kenya - The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has dispatched a high-level team to Kenya following the confirmation of the country's first imported case of Bundibugyo Ebola Virus Disease. The outbreak continues to challenge cross-border surveillance and response systems. The patient, who had traveled from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) through Uganda, passed away in Nairobi on Monday night.
Africa CDC Director General, Dr. Jean Kaseya, stated that the agency has activated support for Kenya and will work to strengthen the response. He plans to visit Kenya soon to assess the response needs and any additional support required. So far, 28 contacts have been identified, and 23 passengers and crew members from the same flight are under investigation.
Kaseya emphasized the importance of maintaining surveillance and response capacity even after an outbreak appears contained in a neighboring country, as the patient's case demonstrates the need for vigilance across borders.
Written by urgent.news from Capital FM Kenya's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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