Kenya Accounts for All 135 Ebola Contacts as Quarantine Releases Loom

Kenya Accounts for All 135 Ebola Contacts as Quarantine Releases Loom

Kenya has accounted for all 135 contacts linked to its first Ebola case as health authorities intensify efforts to contain the deadly Bundibugyo virus.

Health Director-General Dr Patrick Amoth said 126 contacts remained under institutional quarantine, while nine others outside Kenya’s jurisdiction had been identified and contacted.

Authorities expect low-risk individuals who have completed the mandatory quarantine period to begin leaving the facilities from Sunday, October 25, subject to individual risk assessments.

“All the listed contacts have been accounted for,” Amoth said, noting that tracing efforts initially faced challenges.

The last contact authorities struggled to trace was a Ugandan national who travelled through the Namanga border crossing using a South Sudanese telephone number.

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Kenya’s first confirmed patient was a Kenyan man in his 40s who had lived in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for seven years.

He travelled through Kampala, Uganda, before boarding a Jambojet flight to Nairobi on October 3, 2026.

The man had experienced illness for approximately one month and sought treatment at several hospitals in the DRC. He later developed severe symptoms, including fever, fatigue, muscle pain and bleeding beneath the skin.

He was admitted to Nairobi Hospital, where laboratory tests confirmed Bundibugyo Ebola. He died on October 5, triggering extensive contact tracing.

Amoth said public awareness campaigns had improved cooperation, although some quarantine facilities lacked adequate isolation arrangements.

Health officials are reviewing individual cases to determine when contacts can safely leave quarantine, particularly where communal facilities may have prolonged exposure risks.

Meanwhile, Amoth reported that patients receiving treatment were stable. Some were receiving monoclonal antibody therapy, while others were undergoing intravenous treatment.

Kenya has also requested 10,000 Ebola vaccine doses to protect frontline health workers involved in the response.

The World Health Organisation’s emergency response representative, Dr Otim Patrick, said Kenya had strengthened surveillance at border crossings.

Screening measures include health declaration forms, temperature checks and assessments of travellers’ exposure histories.

Authorities are particularly concerned about cross-border movements between Uganda and the DRC. They are strengthening preparedness in border counties, including Turkana, to detect suspected infections and prevent further transmission.

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