The Ministry of Health has confirmed a second case of Ebola (Bundibugyo Virus Disease), with health officials saying the patient was identified early through ongoing contact tracing and quarantine measures following the country’s first confirmed infection.
In a statement issued on October 14, the Ministry of Health said the patient is a 39-year-old man who is a close family member of the first Ebola case. The individual was already in quarantine and under daily monitoring when he developed symptoms on October 13.
“The Ministry of Health confirms a second case of Ebola (Bundibugyo Virus Disease) in Kenya. The patient, a 39-year-old man, is a close family member of the first case and was already in quarantine, under daily monitoring, when he fell ill on 13th October 2026. Kenya has now recorded two confirmed cases and one death,” stated the Ministry of Health.
The patient developed fever, fatigue and joint pains, prompting the quarantine team to isolate him and collect samples for testing.
Laboratory tests returned positive results at both the National Virology Reference Laboratory and the KEMRI-CDC laboratory.
The man has since been transferred to a designated treatment centre, where he is receiving supportive care.
“The response working as designed,” the Ministry said, noting that the patient’s condition was detected early because he was already under quarantine and being monitored daily.
The ministry added that early detection and isolation help limit the risk of further transmission.
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108 Contacts in Quarantine
The Ministry of Health said both confirmed cases are linked and there is currently no evidence of wider community transmission.
As of October 13, health teams had identified 128 contacts associated with the first case and traced 113 of them.
Of those traced, 108 are in quarantine in Kenya, where they are undergoing daily clinical assessments and temperature checks for 21 days from their last possible exposure.
The remaining five contacts are outside the country, and the relevant health authorities have been notified in accordance with the International Health Regulations (2005).
Contact tracing for the other 15 people is ongoing.
Health teams are also assessing people who may have come into contact with the second patient since he developed symptoms, including quarantine staff and healthcare workers.
The ministry said anyone who develops symptoms after contact will be isolated and tested immediately.
Ministry Reinforces Measures at Treatment Centres
The Ministry said it has strengthened infection prevention and control measures at quarantine and treatment facilities, adding that health workers have the protective equipment needed to manage patients safely.
Dr Patrick Amoth, the Director General for Health, urged all healthcare workers to maintain strict infection prevention and control procedures regardless of the condition they are treating.
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The ministry is coordinating the response under the Public Health (Declaration of Formidable Epidemic Disease) Order, 2026, and the Public Health (Ebola Disease) Rules, 2026.
The ministry also confirmed that the World Health Organization had been notified in line with international health regulations.
Kenya remains open to travel, trade and public gatherings, with no restrictions imposed as part of the response, according to the statement.
Ministry of Health urged Kenyans to remain vigilant and seek medical attention promptly if they develop symptoms associated with Ebola, which include fever, unusual tiredness, muscle or joint pains, vomiting, diarrhoea and unexplained bleeding.
The ministry clarified that Ebola does not spread through the air. Transmission occurs through direct contact with the blood or body fluids of a person who is sick with the disease or has died from it.
The ministry also asked the public to respect the privacy of the affected family and rely on official ministry updates for accurate information and advised anyone seeking information about the outbreak to call the toll-free number 719.
How Kenya’s First Ebola Patient Contracted the Virus and Died
The first patient, whose infection was confirmed earlier in October, was a Kenyan citizen who had lived in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for seven years before travelling back to Kenya.
In a statement issued on October 6, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said the patient had fallen ill about a month earlier and sought treatment at several hospitals in the DRC.
He later travelled by road from the DRC to Kampala, Uganda, before boarding a Jambojet flight to Nairobi.
Duale said the patient arrived at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on Saturday, October 3, at 1:10 p.m., where he underwent public health screening at the Port Health facility before proceeding through immigration.
A relative and a friend then transported him directly to Nairobi Hospital, where medical staff isolated him in a separate room in the Accident and Emergency department before transferring him to the hospital’s East Wing Isolation Facility.
The facility, established during the COVID-19 pandemic, offers critical care services, including an Intensive Care Unit (ICU), a High Dependency Unit (HDU), and more than 145 beds, according to Duale.
While receiving treatment, the patient developed several symptoms, including fever, chills, extreme fatigue, weakness, muscle pain, difficulty swallowing and bleeding beneath the skin.
Doctors initially suspected a viral fever based on his symptoms and travel history. They subsequently collected samples and sent them to the National Virology Reference Laboratory, operated by the National Public Health Institute, and the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) for testing.
Both laboratories confirmed that the patient had contracted Ebola. Despite receiving supportive treatment, he died on Monday, October 5, at approximately 11:30 p.m.
His death prompted health authorities to intensify contact tracing and monitoring efforts, leading to the identification of the second confirmed case announced by the Ministry of Health on October 14.
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