Kenya reported its first Ebola death on Tuesday, according to the country's health minister. The deceased was a citizen who arrived from the Democratic Republic of Congo on Saturday. Health authorities identified 28 contacts of the person after the death was confirmed.
The case marks Kenya's first-ever Ebola death as the disease continues spreading through the north-eastern DRC, where the current outbreak began in May. This represents the 17th Ebola outbreak recorded in the DRC.
As of October 2, the DRC outbreak had produced 4,082 deaths among 8,463 confirmed cases. The virus circulating in the outbreak is the Bundibugyo strain, for which no vaccine or specific treatment exists.
The case in Kenya indicates the virus has crossed a major border and entered a new country during the ongoing DRC epidemic. Health officials identified close contacts of the deceased for monitoring and potential isolation measures to prevent further spread.