Kenya records second Ebola death as Nigeria confirms imported case

Kenya has recorded its second death from Bundibugyo virus disease, the Health Ministry said, after a 65-year-old woman died while receiving supportive care in Nairobi. She was a close relative of Kenya’s first Ebola patient and developed symptoms while already in quarantine.

Kenya has confirmed nine cases in total. Seven patients remain in isolation, and the ministry said all cases belong to one cluster of known contacts, with no evidence of community transmission. The first patient, a 40-year-old man who travelled from the Democratic Republic of the Congo through Uganda, arrived in Nairobi on October 3 and died two days later.

Nigeria separately confirmed its first case in Abuja in a woman who arrived on a flight from Uganda. She began showing symptoms on October 7 and was hospitalized four days later. Nigerian authorities have identified 44 contacts, including health workers, patients, caregivers and travel contacts.

Nigeria’s health minister said genomic testing indicated that the virus in the Nigerian case was highly similar to the strain identified in Kenya. The patient’s route and location of exposure remain under investigation. Uganda said she had only transited through the country and maintained that it had no active confirmed cases.

Ghana, which has reported no cases, has strengthened screening and surveillance at entry points following the infections reported in Kenya and Nigeria.