HQ Team
October 7, 2026: The East African nation of Kenya confirmed its first case of Ebola after one of its citizens who flew into the capital, Nairobi, died of the disease.
The citizen fell ill in the Democratic Republic of Congo while staying there and had been treated at several health facilities in the host country, according to a statement from the World Health Organization (WHO).
The patient then travelled by road to Kampala, Uganda, through Beni on 2 October 2026, and flew to Nairobi, arriving on October 3, 2026.
On arrival, the patient was transported to a hospital in Nairobi and was isolated. Samples tested positive for Bundibugyo virus at both the National Virology Reference Laboratory and the Kenya Medical Research Institute. Despite supportive care, the patient died on the night of October 5, 2026.
The Government of Kenya notified WHO of the case in line with the International Health Regulations (2005) on 6 October 2026. Kenya is the fourth country to confirm Bundibugyo virus disease.
Tracing passengers, crew members
Health authorities in Kenya have so far listed 28 contacts, including family members and health workers who cared for the patient.
They are also tracing 23 passengers and four crew members from the same flight, with arrangements underway for appropriate follow-up and quarantine of people assessed to be at risk.
The central African Democratic Republic of the Congo is responding to an ongoing BVD outbreak, while neighbouring Uganda, where the Bundibugyo virus species was first detected in 2007, ended the latest outbreak in August 2026.
Most cases in Uganda were imported from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the remaining few were locally acquired among contacts and health workers linked to imported cases.
France reported a travel-related case of Bundibugyo virus disease in June 2026.
Kenya preparedness
Kenya has been on high alert since May 2026, when outbreaks were declared in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.
As of October 6, 2026, Kenya has screened over 652 000 travellers entering the country, tested 267 suspected samples and trained around 5000 health workers on Ebola prevention and management.
“Health emergency preparedness gives us a head start. Kenya has put important outbreak control measures in place,” said Dr Mohamed Yakub Janabi, WHO Regional Director for Africa.
“The priority now is to move swiftly to detect any further cases before the virus has an opportunity to spread. We’re supporting the ongoing efforts to strengthen the response, and with rapid and coordinated action, we can prevent the virus from gaining a foothold and stop a potential larger outbreak,” he said.
WHO advised against any restriction of travel to, or trade with, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda or Kenya based on the currently available information.
The global health agency “continues to closely monitor and, where necessary, verify travel and trade measures in relation to this event,” according to the statement.
No vaccines
The Kenyan government is strengthening its response coordination and case investigation, while monitoring and listing contacts for enhanced disease surveillance.
At the core of the response efforts are screening at high-risk points of entry and clear risk communication, while engaging communities to help prevent infection. These measures are rapidly being deployed to ensure the identification of cases and help contain further transmission.
Kenya’s Ebola preparedness score, which tracks progress on key readiness measures such as surveillance, laboratory testing, isolation and treatment facilities and trained response teams, rose from 66% in May to 82% in July 2026, according to the WHO.
Bundibugyo virus disease is a severe, often fatal illness. It spreads through direct contact with the blood or body fluids of an infected person, or with contaminated materials.
There are currently no approved vaccines or specific treatments for Bundibugyo virus disease, but candidate products are being evaluated in clinical trials.
