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Kenya has conducted its first Ebola burial after the country’s first confirmed patient died in Nairobi, with authorities enforcing strict public health measures designed to prevent further transmission of the virus.

The patient, a Kenyan man who had been living in the Democratic Republic of Congo, was buried at Lang’ata Cemetery in Nairobi after dying at Nairobi Hospital on October 6. The Ministry of Health had earlier confirmed that laboratory testing identified the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola.

The burial took place under what health authorities described as safe and dignified burial protocols. Reports from the cemetery showed health workers wearing protective equipment and disinfecting materials and vehicles associated with the burial.

Traditional practices involving the handling, washing or viewing of the body were not permitted because of the risk of exposure to infectious bodily fluids. A limited number of relatives were allowed to witness the burial while maintaining a safe distance from the grave.

Health officials said the body was handled and transported according to Ebola infection-prevention procedures. Materials used during the process were disinfected or destroyed to minimise the possibility of contamination.

The burial came as Kenyan authorities intensified efforts to trace people who may have been exposed to the patient. The Ministry of Health initially identified 28 contacts, including family members and healthcare workers, before the number later rose to 57. Ten people had been placed in quarantine as authorities continued efforts to locate the remaining contacts.

The government has stressed that Kenya does not currently have a wider Ebola outbreak, describing the case as an imported infection linked to the ongoing outbreak in the DRC. Health authorities have increased surveillance at borders and designated treatment and isolation facilities as they monitor the situation.

Officials have urged the public to remain vigilant without panicking and to follow guidance from the Ministry of Health as contact tracing and surveillance continue.

https://peopledaily.digital/news/kenyas-first-ebola-patient-buried-under-tight-security

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