Kenya Confirms First Ebola Case as Man Dies in Nairobi Following Travel from DRC

Kenya has confirmed its first-ever Ebola case following the death of a Kenyan national in Nairobi who recently returned from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Health Secretary Aden Duale stated during a Tuesday news conference that the patient had lived in the DRC for seven years and was ill for approximately a month before traveling by road from the DRC to Uganda’s capital, Kampala, and subsequently flying to Nairobi on Saturday.

Authorities have identified 28 contacts, which include family members and healthcare workers who provided care for the patient. Additionally, officials are actively tracing 23 other passengers who were on the same flight from Uganda.

Patrick Amoth, director-general of the Kenyan Ministry of Health, announced that all identified contacts will be placed in isolation for 21 days and may be released only if they test negative for the virus.

Earlier in the year, Uganda reported 20 cases and two deaths before being declared Ebola-free in August. Meanwhile, the DRC's 17th Ebola outbreak has spread rapidly since its official declaration on May 15. Government figures released on Friday indicate that the outbreak has caused more than 4,000 deaths and reached 8,300 confirmed cases across seven provinces, marking the worst Ebola epidemic in the nation's history.

The World Health Organization has issued warnings that the epidemic is far from over and remains on track to surpass the regional 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak, which resulted in more than 11,000 deaths primarily across Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.