Africa CDC deploys emergency team to Kenya after first Bundibugyo Ebola case

NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 6— The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) is deploying a high-level multidisciplinary team to Kenya following confirmation of the country’s first imported case of Bundibugyo Ebola Virus Disease, as the regional outbreak continues to test cross-border surveillance and response systems.

The team is expected to work alongside Kenyan health authorities on the response after the patient, who had travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) through Uganda, died in Nairobi on Monday night.

Africa CDC Director General Dr Jean Kaseya said the continental health agency had activated support for Kenya and would work with authorities to strengthen the response.

“I thank the Kenyan authorities for the rapid measures already put in place and reiterate Africa CDC’s full support,” Kaseya said.

“I will personally travel to Kenya in the coming days to assess, together with the national authorities, the needs of the response and any additional support required.”

The deployment comes as Kenyan authorities intensify contact tracing following the confirmation of the imported case.

So far, 28 contacts, including family members and healthcare workers, have been identified, while authorities are tracing 23 passengers and crew members who travelled on the same flight as the patient from Uganda to Nairobi.

Africa CDC said the rapid identification, isolation and testing of the patient demonstrated the importance of maintaining surveillance and response capacity even after an outbreak appears to have been contained in a neighbouring country.

The patient had travelled by road from the DRC to Uganda, spent a night there and subsequently flew to Kenya.

Kaseya said the case was a reminder that Ebola response could not be confined to individual countries given the movement of people across the region.

“This case is another reminder of the importance of vigilance across our borders. We must strengthen surveillance, follow every contact, share information rapidly and work closely with communities,” he said.

The Africa CDC chief also spoke with Ugandan authorities and welcomed measures taken to identify and isolate contacts linked to the Kenyan case.

Kenya’s first case comes as the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in the DRC continues to generate concern over cross-border transmission.

Africa CDC said the situation underscores the need for stronger surveillance systems, cross-border information sharing, laboratory readiness, rapid-response capacity and infection prevention and control measures across the region.

The agency had earlier brought Kenya and other high-risk countries together with the DRC and Uganda to strengthen regional preparedness against Bundibugyo virus disease, including coordination at points of entry and readiness to respond rapidly to imported cases.

The Kenyan case follows Uganda’s own experience with the outbreak.

Uganda recorded 20 confirmed cases during its 2026 outbreak before being declared Ebola-free after completing the required period without a new confirmed case.

Africa CDC said the continuing transmission in the DRC means neighbouring countries remain exposed to new introductions of the virus.

The agency also raised concerns about gaps in contact tracing in the DRC, saying more than 70 per cent of new cases were still being detected in communities among people who had not previously been identified and followed as contacts.

“This indicates that transmission chains continue to escape the response system,” Africa CDC said.

Kaseya called for stronger community-centred surveillance in affected areas, including active case finding, systematic identification of contacts and daily follow-up.

“To interrupt this outbreak, we must know where every contact is, follow them, and rapidly identify anyone who develops symptoms before they transmit the virus to their family, community or across borders,” he said.

“Our response must be African-led, united, transparent and centred on communities. We will only control this outbreak when the final chain of transmission has been interrupted.”