Kenya reports first Ebola death linked to DRC traveler

Kenya confirmed its first Ebola death on Tuesday after a citizen who had been living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo returned to Nairobi. Health Minister Aden Duale announced the case, marking the first time the country has recorded a fatality from the virus.

The man fell ill about a month ago while in the DRC and received medical care there. He traveled overland to Kampala, Uganda, before flying to Nairobi on 3 October. Duale said the patient showed fever, severe fatigue, muscle pain, sore throat and bleeding at injection sites. He tested positive for the virus and died last night at around 1130.

Officials have identified 28 contacts, including family members and healthcare workers. Authorities are also tracking 23 passengers and four crew members from the same flight. Quarantine measures are ready for anyone exposed, and a safe burial will take place later in the day. “I wish to assure the public not to panic, as all systems are in place to mitigate the spread of the disease,” Duale said.

The death comes as the DRC battles its 17th Ebola outbreak, which began in mid-May. The Bundibugyo strain has caused 4,082 deaths out of 8,463 cases since 2 October. Medical teams face heavy obstacles in Ituri province and across seven other regions due to armed clashes and limited supplies. Médecins Sans Frontières recently warned of a sharp rise in infections near the Ugandan border.

Neighboring Uganda previously handled 20 cases and two deaths before clearing the virus in August. The virus has claimed more than 15,000 lives in Africa over the past 50 years. In Kenya, officials are managing public concerns that surfaced earlier this year when the government proposed an Ebola treatment center at Laikipia airbase.