Kenya reports first-ever Ebola death

Kenyan health authorities announced the country's first death from Ebola on Tuesday.

Health Minister Aden Duale said a Kenyan citizen who had been living in the Democratic Republic of Congo died after returning to Kenya via Uganda over the weekend.

It makes Kenya the fourth country to record an Ebola case in the current outbreak, which was declared in the DRC in mid-May. Neighboring Uganda has reported 20 cases and France has lodged one.

What did the Health Ministry say about the case?

Duale told reporters the deceased patient fell ill about a month ago and had been receiving treatment in the DRC. He then traveled overland to the Ugandan capital, Kampala, before taking a flight to Nairobi on October 3.

The patient was suffering "fever, chills, intense fatigue, weakness, muscle pain, painful swallowing, sore throat and bleeding under the skin at the injection sites," Duale said.

The man subsequently tested positive for Ebola and died Monday night. He was expected to be buried later on Tuesday in line with public health recommendations.

The health minister said 28 people who came into contact with the patient — including relatives and health workers — had been identified and would be quarantined. Another 23 passengers and four crew members who were on the flight from Uganda were also being traced, he added.

"I wish to assure the public not to panic, as all systems are in place to mitigate the spread of the disease," he said.

Did Ebola start spreading before officials even knew?

What is the status of the outbreak?

Congolese authorities officially declared an Ebola outbreak on May 15, but experts believe the virus may have already been circulating for some time before that point.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has recorded more than 4,000 Ebola deaths out of 8,400 cases since then.

The current Ebola outbreak is the fastest-growing in history, and the WHO has warned it could also become the deadliest because poor health resources and ongoing violence in the DRC have hampered efforts to contain it.

The current epidemic is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a rare type of Ebola that has no approved vaccine or treatment.

Ebola is spread between people by direct contact with bodily fluids. It can cause fever, fatigue, and muscle pain, followed by vomiting and diarrhea. Some patients also develop internal or external bleeding.

The disease has killed more than 15,000 people in Africa over the past 50 years.

Edited by: Elizabeth Schumacher

Don't let the algorithm hide the news. If you rely on our team for trusted reporting, please take a moment to select us as your Preferred Source on Google by clicking here and hitting the "star" or "preferred" button, so you'll always see our verified news first.