Kenya has confirmed a second case of Ebola, a week after the country reported its first imported case on October 6, 2026.
According to the Ministry of Health, 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 developed symptoms on Tuesday, October 13, 2026.
In a statement, Director General for Health Dr Patrick Amoth said the patient developed fever, fatigue and joint pains before being isolated and tested.
Samples tested positive at both the National Virology Reference Laboratory and the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI)-CDC laboratory, with both facilities returning matching results.
The patient has since been transferred to a designated treatment centre, where he is receiving supportive care.
Amoth said the early detection was made possible by the quarantine and monitoring measures already in place, adding that the two cases are linked, with no evidence of transmission in the wider community.
“Early supportive care improves his chances of recovery, and isolating him at the first symptom limits the chance of passing the virus to others. This is the response working as designed. The Ministry will share updates on his progress,” Amoth stated.
Kenya has so far recorded two confirmed Ebola cases and one death.
The Ministry has identified 128 contacts linked to the first case, of whom 113 had been traced as of October 13. Of those, 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 other five contacts are outside the country, and health authorities in the respective countries have been notified in line with the International Health Regulations.
Efforts to trace the remaining 15 contacts are ongoing.
“Teams are also assessing everyone who has been in contact with the second case since his symptoms began, including quarantine staff and health workers. Any contact who develops a symptom will be isolated and tested immediately,” said Amoth.
The Ministry affirmed that Kenya remains open, with no restrictions on travel, trade or public gatherings while assuring that infection prevention and control measures have been reinforced at quarantine and treatment facilities.
Members of the public have been urged to seek medical attention promptly if they develop symptoms such as fever, unusual tiredness, muscle or joint pains, vomiting, diarrhoea or unexplained bleeding.
Ebola is not airborne but spreads through direct contact with the blood or body fluids of an infected person who is sick or has died from the disease.
