Kenya has recorded its first case of the new Ebola outbreak after a Kenyan man who had been living in Congo contracted the virus and died after returning to Nairobi.
The man had lived in Congo for the past seven years and fell ill about a month ago. He was treated at several hospitals before travelling by road to Kampala, Uganda, where he boarded a flight to Nairobi, arriving on Saturday afternoon. He was placed in isolation at Nairobi Hospital, where he tested positive for Ebola and died late on Monday night.
The current outbreak was officially declared in mid-May and has mainly affected Congo, with at least 8,400 confirmed cases and more than 4,000 deaths.
The WHO warns that the current outbreak could surpass the deadliest Ebola outbreak on record, which claimed more than 11,000 lives in West Africa between 2014 and 2016.
The rapid spread has been attributed to the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there is no approved vaccine or treatment.
Ebola is highly contagious and spreads between people through contact with bodily fluids, as well as contaminated surfaces and materials such as bedding and clothing.
Kenya is the third African country to record an Ebola case in the current outbreak, after Congo and Uganda, where 20 cases have been recorded.
Source:Associated Press
