Second Ebola Case Confirmed in Kenya
The Ministry of Health has confirmed a second case of Ebola in Kenya, bringing the country's total to two confirmed cases and one death.
According to a press release issued on October 14, 2026, by Director General for Health Dr Patrick Amoth, the second patient is a 39-year-old man who is a close family member of the first case.
He was already in quarantine under daily monitoring when he fell ill on October 13, 2026.
The Ministry stated that as soon as the man developed fever, fatigue, and joint pains, the quarantine team isolated him and collected a specimen.
Tests conducted by both the National Virology Reference Laboratory and the KEMRI-CDC laboratory yielded positive, matching results for Ebola (Bundibugyo Virus Disease).
The patient is currently admitted to a designated treatment centre where trained medical teams are providing supportive care.
Health officials noted that because the patient was already in quarantine, his illness was detected early, which improves his chances of recovery and limits potential transmission.
"This is the response working as designed," the Ministry stated, adding that it will share further updates on his progress.
Health authorities emphasised that both cases are linked and that "there is no evidence of spread in the wider community."
The Ministry has listed 128 contacts linked to the first case. As of October 13, 113 of those contacts had been traced.
Among them, 108 are in quarantine within Kenya, undergoing daily clinical and temperature checks for 21 days from their last potential exposure.
Five contacts are located outside Kenya, and health authorities in those countries have been notified in accordance with the International Health Regulations (2005).
Efforts to trace the remaining 15 contacts are ongoing, while teams assess individuals who interacted with the second case since his symptoms began, including quarantine staff and health workers.
The Ministry outlined that any contact developing symptoms will be isolated and tested immediately. Infection prevention and control measures have been reinforced across all quarantine and treatment sites, with protective equipment provided to health personnel.
All healthcare workers have been instructed to apply strict infection prevention measures regardless of the condition they are treating.
The response is legally guided by the Public Health (Declaration of Formidable Epidemic Disease) Order, 2026, and the Public Health (Ebola Disease) Rules, 2026, under a single national command.
The World Health Organization has also been notified in line with the International Health Regulations (2005). Kenya remains open, with no restrictions imposed on travel, trade, or public gatherings.
In an appeal to the public, Dr Amoth urged citizens to stay calm but remain vigilant.
"Ebola is not spread through the air; it spreads through direct contact with the blood or body fluids of a person who is sick with, or has died from, the disease," Dr Amoth stated.