Kenya confirms first Ebola death as outbreak spreads
Kenya has confirmed its first Ebola death after a Kenyan national who has lived in the Democratic Republic of Congo for the past seven years fell ill and died shortly after arriving in Nairobi.
Health Minister Aden Duale said the patient, who had been treated in several hospitals across the DRC, boarded a flight on Saturday, was screened at Nairobi’s main airport and later transferred by a relative to a local hospital. Testing confirmed the presence of the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus.
This fatality marks a grim milestone as the second most deadly outbreak of Ebola this year has already claimed more than 4,000 lives in the DRC.
Public health officials are urging heightened vigilance to contain the virus’s spread and prevent further casualties in the region.
For more comprehensive coverage of the Ebola crisis across Africa, visit BBCAfrica.com.
