Kenya Confirms First Ebola Case as Patient Dies

NAIROBI — Kenya has confirmed its first-ever Ebola case after a Kenyan man who had been living in the Democratic Republic of Congo died in Nairobi.

The patient had reportedly been ill for about a month before travelling from the DRC through Uganda to Kenya. He was admitted to a Nairobi hospital after arriving in the country and later tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola.

Kenyan health authorities have begun contact tracing and monitoring people who may have been exposed, including family members, health workers and passengers who travelled on the same flight.

The World Health Organization and Africa CDC are supporting Kenya’s response.

Kenya’s health authorities have also increased surveillance at border points as they work to prevent further transmission.

Status: CONFIRMED

Monafrika take: Kenya’s first confirmed case adds a new regional concern to an Ebola outbreak that has already placed enormous pressure on health systems in Central and East Africa.