Kenya has confirmed its first imported Ebola case after a Kenyan citizen who had travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) died in Nairobi, with health authorities now tracing people who may have been exposed.

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale confirmed the case on Tuesday, October 6, saying the patient had arrived in Nairobi on Saturday after travelling from the DRC.

“The Ministry of Health wishes to inform members of the public that it has confirmed the first imported case of Ebola,” Duale said.

The patient was subsequently admitted to Nairobi Hospital, where he was isolated and treated after developing symptoms consistent with a viral haemorrhagic disease.

The patient later died while receiving treatment, making the case Kenya's first confirmed Ebola infection and fatality.

28 contacts identified

Authorities have immediately launched contact tracing to establish everyone who may have interacted with the deceased.

Duale said 28 contacts have so far been identified, including members of the patient's family and healthcare workers who attended to him.

“We have listed 28 contacts with the deceased,” Duale said.

The identified contacts are being monitored as health officials work to establish whether anyone else may have been exposed.

The government has also intensified surveillance as it moves to contain the possibility of further transmission.

23 passengers and four crew members being traced

The contact-tracing exercise has extended beyond the patient's immediate contacts.

Duale said health authorities were pursuing 23 passengers and four crew members who were aboard the same flight as the patient.

“We are pursuing a further 23 passengers and 4 crew members who were on the same flight,” the CS said.

The government has already made arrangements for their quarantine as authorities work to locate and assess those who may have been exposed.

“Arrangements for their quarantine have been made and the place has been prepared,” Duale said.

The development places the passengers and crew at the centre of the ongoing public-health response as authorities work to establish their movements after the flight.

Patient travelled from DRC through Uganda

The confirmed case has been classified as an imported Ebola infection, meaning the patient is believed to have acquired the infection outside Kenya.

The patient had travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo through Uganda before arriving in Nairobi, according to reports on Duale's announcement.

The case comes as the DRC deals with a major Ebola outbreak involving the Bundibugyo virus species. Reuters reported that the outbreak is the DRC's largest recorded Ebola outbreak.

Kenya had previously stepped up surveillance and border preparedness because of the regional outbreak.

In May, the Ministry of Health said it had intensified surveillance, laboratory testing, border health services and case-management preparations because of the risk of cross-border transmission.

Kenya activates Ebola response

Following confirmation of the case, health authorities have heightened surveillance and begun a wider contact-tracing operation.

The immediate priority is to identify people who may have come into contact with the patient and monitor them for symptoms.

The 28 already identified contacts include family members and healthcare workers, according to reports of Duale's briefing.

Authorities are also working to locate the passengers and crew members who travelled on the same flight.

The government has prepared quarantine arrangements as part of the containment measures.

What is Ebola?

Ebola is a severe viral disease that can spread through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person, including a person who has died from the disease.

Symptoms can include fever, vomiting and diarrhoea, while severe cases can involve internal or external bleeding.

The confirmation of Kenya's first case therefore places particular importance on early identification of contacts and prompt monitoring of anyone who may have been exposed.

Kenya's first confirmed case

The development marks a major change from Kenya's earlier Ebola preparedness position.

In June, the Ministry of Health said Kenya remained free of confirmed Ebola cases while intensifying preparedness because of outbreaks in the region.

The first confirmed imported case has now prompted an active response involving contact tracing, surveillance and quarantine preparations.

For now, health authorities are focused on determining whether the infection has spread beyond the deceased patient.

Ebola response in numbers

1 — Kenya's first confirmed Ebola case

1 — Patient reported dead

28 — Contacts already identified

23 — Passengers being traced

4 — Crew members being traced

DRC → Uganda → Nairobi — Reported travel route

The Ministry of Health is expected to provide further updates as the contact-tracing exercise continues.

The Daily Whistle will update this story as new information is confirmed.