Kenya has launched an urgent search for people who may have been exposed to Bundibugyo virus after confirming the country’s first imported case, with health officials monitoring 28 contacts and trying to locate 27 people who travelled on the same aircraft as the patient.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said the contacts already identified include relatives of the patient and healthcare workers involved in their care.
At the same time, authorities are working to trace 23 passengers and four crew members who were on the flight that brought the patient to Nairobi.
Those regarded as having faced a possible risk of infection are being lined up for follow-up and quarantine as investigators work to establish the full chain of contact linked to the case.
The patient, a Kenyan citizen who had been residing in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), developed illness while in the country and received treatment at several health facilities before making the journey back to Kenya.
WHO said the patient left the DRC and travelled by road through Beni before reaching Kampala, Uganda, on October 2, 2026. From Uganda, the patient flew to Nairobi on October 3.
After arriving in the capital, the patient was taken to hospital and promptly isolated.
Laboratory investigations conducted at Kenya’s National Virology Reference Laboratory and the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) detected Bundibugyo virus, confirming Kenya’s first imported case of Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD).
The patient later died on the night of October 5 despite receiving supportive treatment.
The burial was carried out on October 6 under Kenya’s Ebola safe and dignified burial protocol.
Kenya subsequently notified WHO of the case on October 6, as required under the International Health Regulations (2005).
WHO says preparedness gives Kenya a head start
The confirmation comes as WHO backs Kenya’s efforts to contain the virus and prevent a wider outbreak.
WHO Regional Director for Africa Mohamed Janabi said the preparations undertaken by Kenya in recent months would be important as the country manages the imported case.
“Health emergency preparedness gives us a head start,” Janabi said.
Janabi said health teams must now move quickly to establish whether other people were infected and identify them before the virus has a chance to spread.
“The priority now is to move swiftly to detect any further cases before the virus has an opportunity to spread,” he said.
WHO is assisting the Kenyan government with coordination of the response, investigation of the case, contact monitoring and surveillance.
Janabi stressed the need for the different response teams to act quickly and work together to limit the risk of further infections.
“With rapid and coordinated action, we can prevent the virus from gaining a foothold and stop a potential larger outbreak,” he said.
The ongoing investigation covers people who could have encountered the patient while they were sick, during treatment at health facilities and while travelling to Nairobi.
Kenya’s response follows months of increased readiness after Ebola outbreaks were reported in the DRC and Uganda.
According to WHO, the country has maintained a high level of alert since May 2026.
By October 6, health authorities had screened more than 652,000 travellers arriving in Kenya. A total of 267 samples from suspected cases had also been tested, while approximately 5,000 health workers had been trained in Ebola prevention and management.
Kenya’s preparations have included simulation exercises aimed at testing the country’s ability to respond to an Ebola emergency.
A national group of rapid-response trainers has also been established, with some of those involved having experience gained during the 2014–2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak.
Authorities have identified and assessed isolation units in 27 counties considered to be at high risk. Case managers have also undergone training as part of the preparedness programme.
Kenya has further revised its Ebola surveillance tools to improve the speed at which suspected cases can be detected, reported and investigated.
WHO said the country’s preparedness score improved from 66 per cent in May to 82 per cent in July 2026.
The score covers key areas of outbreak readiness, including surveillance, laboratory testing, isolation and treatment capacity and the availability of trained response teams.
WHO and its partners have supplied around 1,000 Ebola tests and 1,000 personal protective equipment kits to counties considered to be at high risk.
Contact tracing is now at the centre of the response as authorities seek to establish whether the virus was passed to anyone else.
The 28 contacts already identified include family members and healthcare workers who interacted with the patient. Separate efforts are being made to find the 23 passengers and four crew members who shared the flight to Nairobi with the patient.
Officials are arranging follow-up and quarantine for people assessed as having been exposed.
The aim is to identify any possible infection at an early stage and prevent a new chain of transmission.
Kenya is also stepping up screening at high-risk points of entry while expanding communication with the public and communities.
WHO said the communication efforts include public information messages, engagement with the media, community outreach and call-centre support.
Authorities are also working to detect and respond to rumours and misinformation that could interfere with the response.
Case linked to wider regional outbreak
Kenya’s first imported case has emerged while the DRC continues to deal with an outbreak of Bundibugyo virus disease.
Uganda, the country where the Bundibugyo virus species was first detected in 2007, declared its latest outbreak over in August 2026.
WHO said most of the cases recorded in Uganda were imported from the DRC. A smaller number were acquired within Uganda among people who had contact with imported cases and healthcare workers linked to those cases.
France also recorded a travel-related Bundibugyo virus disease case in June 2026.
Kenya is now the fourth country to confirm a case of Bundibugyo virus disease.
With the patient having died and the case confirmed as imported, health authorities are now concentrating on the people who may have come into contact with the patient.
The surveillance effort will involve tracing and monitoring contacts, following up people considered at risk and looking for signs of any additional infection.
WHO said it will continue to work with Kenya and other countries affected by the outbreak, with government-led action, community participation and international assistance forming the basis of efforts to contain the virus.