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Kenya has confirmed its first imported case of Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD), with the patient dying days after arriving in Nairobi, raising concerns over the risk of further transmission.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Tuesday said that the Kenyan government had intensified surveillance, contact tracing and screening at high-risk points of entry to prevent the virus from spreading.
The patient, a Kenyan citizen who had been living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), fell ill there and received treatment at several health facilities before travelling by road to Kampala, Uganda, through Beni on October 2.
The patient subsequently flew to Nairobi, arriving on October 3, and was immediately taken to a hospital and isolated. Laboratory tests by the National Virology Reference Laboratory and the Kenya Medical Research Institute confirmed the infection.
Despite supportive care, the patient died on the night of October 5 and was buried yesterday in line with Kenya’s safe and dignified burial protocol for Ebola-related infections.
Kenya notified WHO of the case on October 6, in accordance with the International Health Regulations.
Authorities have identified 28 contacts, including family members and health workers, while tracing 23 passengers and four crew members on the flight. Arrangements are underway for follow-up and quarantine of those considered at risk.
Kenya is the fourth country to confirm BVD. The DRC is battling an ongoing outbreak, while Uganda ended its latest outbreak in August. France reported a travel-related case in June.
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Regional Director for Africa, WHO, Dr Mohamed Janabi, said Kenya’s preparedness had provided an important advantage in containing the threat.
“The priority now is to move swiftly to detect any further cases before the virus has an opportunity to spread,” he said, adding that rapid, coordinated action could prevent a larger outbreak.
Kenya has been on high alert since May, when outbreaks were declared in the DRC and Uganda. As of October 6, the country had screened more than 652,000 travellers, tested 267 suspected samples and trained about 5,000 health workers on Ebola prevention and management.
WHO has also supplied about 1,000 Ebola test kits and 1,000 personal protective equipment kits to high-risk counties, while isolation facilities in 27 counties have been identified and assessed.
The country’s Ebola preparedness score rose from 66 per cent in May to 82 per cent in July, reflecting improvements in surveillance, laboratory testing, isolation facilities and response capacity.
WHO advised against restricting travel to or trade with Kenya, Uganda or the DRC based on available information, urging continued support for response efforts and community engagement to contain the outbreak.
