Kenya confirms second Ebola fatality as regional cluster expands

Kenya’s health ministry confirmed the second death from Ebola in the country on Friday, marking the first time the nation has recorded fatalities from the virus. The patient was a 65-year-old woman who died after being placed in quarantine. She was identified as a close family member of the first confirmed victim, a man who traveled from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The ministry reported that the woman developed symptoms on October 13 while already under observation. The first death occurred on October 5. That initial patient had fallen ill in September and received treatment at several hospitals in the DRC before arriving in Nairobi, where he died days later.

Seven other individuals are currently receiving treatment at two isolation facilities. The group includes three additional relatives of the first victim, three health workers, and one hospital cleaner. Officials stated that all cases belong to a single cluster, with no evidence yet of community spread.

The Kenyan outbreak is connected to a larger crisis in the DRC, where more than 4,000 people have died since the virus was confirmed in May. That country has logged over 9,500 cases, making it the second most deadly Ebola outbreak on record. The International Rescue Committee, which is assisting both governments, noted that Kenya faces a steady risk of new cases crossing its borders.

The virus involved is the Bundibugyo species, a rare strain for which no approved vaccine or treatment currently exists. Trials are underway, but the disease spreads through contact with infected bodily fluids. Symptoms include vomiting and diarrhea, and the illness can progress to organ failure or internal and external bleeding.

Kenya has implemented enhanced screening for travelers arriving from the DRC and nine other high-risk countries, including Uganda and Tanzania. Passengers must complete a digital surveillance form before boarding and present a QR code to port health officials upon arrival. Aircraft from these regions undergo extra public health screening, and the government is urging the public to report suspected cases immediately.

The United States has advised its citizens to avoid traveling to Kenya, while neighboring Uganda, Ethiopia, and Somalia have placed their systems on alert. Nigeria’s health minister, Prof Ali Pate, stated that the country’s only confirmed case appears genetically related to the strain in Kenya. Officials are investigating whether the two patients crossed paths, as both are believed to have transited through Uganda’s Entebbe airport earlier this month. Uganda announced on Friday that travelers from the DRC can no longer use the country as a transit point.