Kenya Ebola Toll Reaches Two as Congo Outbreak Exceeds 4,000 Deaths

Kenya has recorded two deaths from Ebola in the country’s first recorded outbreak of the virus.

The health ministry confirmed on 24 October that a 65-year-old woman died after developing symptoms on 13 October. She had been placed in quarantine as a close family member of the first victim. That initial patient, a man who traveled from the Democratic Republic of Congo, fell ill in September and died in Nairobi a few days after arriving there. His death was recorded on 5 October.

Seven other patients are currently under treatment at two isolation facilities. The group includes three relatives of the first victim, three health workers, and one hospital cleaner. Ministry officials stated that all confirmed cases belong to one cluster with no evidence of community spread. The strain involved is the Bundibugyo species, for which no approved vaccine or treatment exists, although clinical trials are ongoing.

The outbreak in Kenya is occurring against the backdrop of a larger crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo. That country has reported more than 9,500 cases since May, resulting in more than 4,000 deaths. This figure makes 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 entering across its borders.

In response, Kenya introduced enhanced screening for travelers arriving from the Democratic Republic of Congo and nine other high-risk nations. The list includes Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Angola, Zambia, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic. Passengers from these countries must complete a digital surveillance form before boarding and present a QR code to port health officials upon arrival. Aircraft from these destinations are subject to additional public health screening.

Regional authorities have also adjusted protocols. The United States advised its citizens against traveling to Kenya, while neighboring Uganda, Ethiopia, and Somalia placed their health systems on alert. Uganda’s health ministry announced on Friday that travelers from the Democratic Republic of Congo would no longer be permitted to transit through the country. Meanwhile, Nigeria’s health minister, Prof Ali Pate, said the country’s single confirmed case appeared genetically related to the strain in Kenya. Officials are testing whether the two initial patients crossed paths, as both are believed to have traveled through Uganda’s Entebbe airport earlier this month.