Kenya has confirmed its first imported case of Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD) , an Ebola virus disease, after a Kenyan citizen who had been living in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) died in Nairobi. The patient had been living in the DRC for about seven years and became ill there before travelling by road through Beni to Kampala, Uganda, on October 2. He then flew to Nairobi on October 3, where he was taken to hospital and isolated after developing symptoms including fever, chills, severe fatigue, muscle pain, sore throat and bleeding. Samples tested positive for Bundibugyo virus at b

Kenya has confirmed its first imported case of Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD), an Ebola virus disease, after a Kenyan citizen who had been living in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) died in Nairobi. The patient had been living in the DRC for about seven years and became ill there before travelling by road through Beni to Kampala, Uganda, on October 2. He then flew to Nairobi on October 3, where he was taken to hospital and isolated after developing symptoms including fever, chills, severe fatigue, muscle pain, sore throat and bleeding. Samples tested positive for Bundibugyo virus at both Kenya’s National Virology Reference Laboratory and the Kenya Medical Research Institute. Despite receiving supportive care, the patient died on the night of October 5 and was buried the following day under Ebola safe-burial protocols. Kenyan health authorities have identified 28 contacts, including family members and healthcare workers. They are also tracing 23 passengers and four crew members who were on the same flight to Nairobi. The World Health Organization is supporting Kenya’s response, including contact tracing, surveillance, screening at high-risk points of entry and public health communication. Kenya has already screened more than 652,000 travellers, tested 267 suspected samples and trained around 5,000 health workers in Ebola prevention and management. Kenya is the fourth country to confirm Bundibugyo virus disease during the current regional outbreak, following the DRC, Uganda and France. Uganda ended its latest outbreak in August, while the DRC continues to battle sustained transmission. WHO says Bundibugyo virus disease can be severe and sometimes fatal. It spreads through direct contact with the blood or body fluids of an infected person or contaminated materials. Authorities are now focused on identifying contacts quickly and preventing further transmission in Kenya.

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