Kenya has intensified contact-tracing efforts after confirming its first Ebola death, with the World Health Organisation (WHO) supporting authorities to prevent the virus from spreading within communities.
WHO Representative in Kenya, Dr Neema Kimambo, said the coming days would be critical in containing the Bundibugyo strain. The victim, a Kenyan man who had lived in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), became ill during the ongoing outbreak there before travelling to Kenya through Kampala and Entebbe on October 3. He went directly to hospital in Nairobi but died on Monday evening.
Kimambo said authorities had identified several people who had direct contact with the patient, including about 10 relatives who had been placed under quarantine. Twenty-one health workers, laboratory personnel and other hospital staff who attended to the patient have also been assessed, while the government is working with the airline involved to trace about 23 passengers and four crew members who travelled on the flight linked to the case.
The WHO, alongside the Africa CDC and other partners, is supporting Kenya, Uganda and the DRC with contact tracing, surveillance, screening and preparedness measures. Kimambo urged residents not to panic but to maintain good hygiene, reduce physical contact, recognise symptoms early and seek medical attention promptly, stressing that effective contact listing and quarantine would be critical to preventing community transmission.
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