Kenya: Ebola Contact Tracing - Jambojet, Health Officials Seek Flight Jm8523 Passengers

Nairobi — Jambojet is collaborating with the Ministry of Health and Port Health Services to identify passengers and crew who were on flight JM8523 from Entebbe to Nairobi, following the confirmation of Kenya's first imported Ebola case. The infected individual, a Kenyan citizen living in the Democratic Republic of Congo for seven years, was on the Saturday flight and is currently under observation at a Nairobi hospital.

Jambojet stated it is cooperating with health authorities to manage other passengers and crew who may have come into contact with the infected traveler. The airline emphasized its commitment to passenger safety while health officials conduct the contact-tracing exercise. The patient, who had been unwell for about a month, traveled from the DRC to Uganda and then to Kenya by road before boarding the flight.

He was screened at a port health facility, cleared immigration, and driven directly to Nairobi Hospital upon arrival, where he was isolated and later transferred to the hospital's isolation facility. The patient died on Monday night, leading to intensified efforts to identify potential contacts. Health authorities have identified 28 contacts, including family members and healthcare workers, who are being monitored.

The Ministry of Health has also traced 23 passengers and four crew members from the Jambojet flight. The Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, circulating in the DRC, is the cause of the case. Kenya has been strengthening surveillance at airports and border points due to the regional outbreak. The airline advised the public not to rely on unverified reports and to rely on official updates from health authorities.