Kenya confirms first Ebola case as patient returns from DRC

Jukwaa

📻 Breaking It Down

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale confirmed the imported case on Tuesday, saying the patient had travelled from the DRC through Uganda before entering Kenya.

Duale said the patient, who had lived in the DRC for about seven years, developed illness approximately a month ago and sought treatment at several health facilities in the country before beginning his journey back to Kenya.

The patient travelled by road from the DRC into Uganda before boarding a flight to Nairobi, where he arrived at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on Saturday, October 3, at about 1:10pm.

📌 What You Need to Know

The patient underwent routine public health screening at JKIA before proceeding to the immigration desk, raising questions over how the infection was detected and the measures now being taken to identify and monitor people who may have been exposed during his journey.

“The Ministry of Health wishes to inform members of the public that it has confirmed the first imported case of Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease,” Duale said.

The confirmation marks a significant development for Kenya, which had remained free of confirmed Ebola infections despite mounting regional concerns.

The government had been preparing for the possibility of an imported case for several months as Ebola spread across the DRC and was reported in Uganda.

In June, Duale told Parliament that Kenya had activated its National Ebola Incident Management System and intensified screening at airports and land border crossings. More than 71,000 travellers had been screened at the time, while 22 suspected Ebola alerts reported in nine counties had all tested negative.

The Ministry of Health had also stepped up surveillance at the Malaba border because of the movement of people between Kenya and Uganda. By early June, authorities said 59 suspected Ebola cases tested in Kenya had returned negative results.

📰 Source: Capital FM Kenya

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