Kenya records ninth Ebola case as virus spreads beyond DR Congo

Kenya has confirmed another case of Ebola virus disease, bringing the total number of infections in the country to nine, as the outbreak continues to spread beyond the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The country’s Director-General for Health, Dr Patrick Amoth, disclosed this in a statement issued by the Ministry of Health on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, providing an update on the government’s response to the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak.

The latest confirmation comes as Nigeria also reported its first case of the ongoing outbreak on Tuesday, raising concerns about the virus spreading to more African countries.

According to the Kenyan Ministry of Health, the ninth case involves a 24-year-old man who tested positive on October 19, bringing the country’s cumulative infections to nine, including one death.

The patient, a close relative of the first confirmed case, had already been placed in quarantine and was isolated and treated immediately after developing symptoms.

The government disclosed that the eight surviving patients were responding positively to treatment and remained stable under medical supervision.

Health authorities have traced and quarantined 134 of the 135 identified contacts, representing 99.3% coverage.

Despite the outbreak, Kenya has maintained that there are no restrictions on travel, trade or public gatherings.

Kenya’s latest case comes barely two weeks after the country confirmed its first Ebola infection on October 6, involving a man who had travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo through Uganda before arriving in Nairobi.

The patient subsequently died in a Nairobi hospital, prompting health authorities to intensify contact tracing and surveillance to prevent further transmission.

The eighth case involved a hospital attendant who had cared for the initial patient, before the latest infection on October 19 increased the total to nine.

The outbreak has also raised concerns in Nigeria, where health authorities confirmed an imported Ebola case in Abuja on October 20, involving a woman who recently returned from Uganda.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the patient developed symptoms on October 7, four days after arriving in Nigeria, and was admitted to a private healthcare facility on October 11 before laboratory testing confirmed the infection.

The outbreak, which began in May 2026, has expanded into new areas, including North Ubangi province, bringing the number of affected provinces to eight.

The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there is currently no licensed vaccine or approved virus-specific treatment.

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