Kenya confirms its first Ebola death as Congo's outbreak spreads
Kenya confirmed its first Ebola case on Tuesday. The patient, a Kenyan man who had lived in Congo, died in a Nairobi hospital Monday night after he flew in from Uganda and passed airport checks. Officials are tracing 28 contacts plus 23 passengers and four crew, as Congo's outbreak passes 4,000 deaths.
Updated Tuesday afternoon: Kenya has confirmed its first case of Ebola, and the patient has died. Health Minister Aden Duale said the man was a Kenyan citizen who had lived in Congo for seven years. He tested positive for Bundibugyo virus, the same type behind Congo's outbreak.
The man fell ill about a month ago and was treated at several clinics in Congo, Duale said. He then traveled by road to Kampala, Uganda, and flew to Nairobi on Jambo Jet flight 8523. He landed Saturday, Oct. 3, and passed routine screening at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. A relative drove him to Nairobi Hospital, where he was isolated. He had fever, weakness, a sore throat and bleeding under the skin. He died at about 11:30 p.m. Monday and was buried Tuesday under strict safety rules.
A senior health official told the BBC the man may have passed airport checks because medicine he was taking hid his symptoms. Kenya has now tightened checks at airports and border posts. Officials have listed 28 contacts, including family and health workers. They are also tracing 23 passengers and four crew from the flight. Duale urged people not to panic.
The World Health Organization says Kenya is the fourth country to confirm this type of Ebola. Uganda ended its outbreak in August, and France had one travel-linked case in June. WHO advises against travel or trade limits on Congo, Uganda or Kenya.
Some background: Congo declared this outbreak in May. WHO now counts 4,114 deaths among 8,544 cases, the BBC reported. That makes it the largest outbreak ever recorded in Congo, where Ebola was first found in 1976. There is no approved vaccine or treatment for Bundibugyo virus. Trials are testing candidate vaccines and antiviral drugs.
The trend is in dispute. Africa CDC figures showed weekly cases at their lowest since mid-June, CIDRAP reported Oct. 2. But Africa CDC's own expert warned that violence and distrust may be hiding cases. On Monday, Doctors Without Borders said the virus was spreading "like a megafire" in North Kivu province.
The virus spreads through blood and other body fluids. Symptoms can appear two to 21 days after exposure.
What we know: Kenya's first patient died, and contact tracing is under way.
What we don't: Whether anyone else in Kenya was infected.
Where outlets agree BBC, ABC News and WHO all report the man traveled from Congo through Kampala, died in Nairobi on Monday night, and that officials are tracing 28 contacts plus 23 passengers and four crew.
Where they differ Africa CDC data showed weekly cases in Congo at their lowest since mid-June, but Doctors Without Borders said Monday the virus is spreading like a megafire in North Kivu.