Kenya has confirmed four new cases of Ebola, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to seven, including one death. Three of the new patients are health workers who cared for the country’s first patient.
In an update on Saturday, October 17, 2026, the Ministry of Health said the fourth new case is a close male relative of the first patient. All four were already in quarantine and under daily monitoring when they developed symptoms, allowing health teams to isolate them quickly.
“The risk to the general public remains low, as there is no evidence of community transmission of the disease,” the ministry said.
The three health workers, two men aged 29 and 35 and a woman aged 32, attended to the first patient while he was in hospital on October 3 and 4, 2026, and had been in quarantine since October 9. The male relative had been in quarantine since October 6.
All four initially developed fever, were immediately isolated and subsequently tested positive at the National Virology Reference Laboratory and the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI). They are now receiving supportive care at designated treatment facilities.
These are the first locally transmitted infections in Kenya, and all seven cases are linked to the first patient, who contracted the virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and died on the night of October 5.
The four new infections follow those of two close family members of the first patient, a 39-year-old man and a 65-year-old woman, who were confirmed as the second and third cases earlier in the week. The ministry said both were stable and responding well to treatment.
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Health officials say the containment effort is holding. Of the 130 people identified as contacts, 128, or 98.5 per cent, have been traced and quarantined, well above the 85 per cent benchmark the ministry says is needed to break chains of transmission. Efforts are ongoing to find the remaining two.
“There is no evidence of community transmission, and contact tracing is ongoing,” the ministry said.
Quarantined contacts are monitored for 21 days from their last exposure, and officials say more cases among those already being monitored cannot be ruled out before that period ends. Four family members of the deceased and the health workers who looked after him remain under close observation.
The Government has placed no restrictions on travel, trade or public gatherings, a position backed by the World Health Organization (WHO).
“WHO advises against closing borders or restricting trade,” the agency said.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale declared Ebola (Bundibugyo virus) disease a formidable epidemic disease on October 12, activating public health rules covering screening at entry points, isolation, quarantine and the safe management of cases.
The ministry reminded the public that Ebola is not airborne and spreads only through direct contact with the blood or body fluids of an infected or deceased person, or with contaminated objects.
Anyone who develops fever, unusual tiredness, muscle or joint pain, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhoea or unexplained bleeding is advised to seek care at the nearest health facility or call the toll-free line at 719.
Kenya’s cases are linked to the outbreak in the DRC, now the second-largest Ebola outbreak on record, with more than 9,000 cases and over 4,000 deaths.
There is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment for the Bundibugyo strain, which is why early detection, isolation and supportive care remain the main tools for saving lives and stopping the spread.
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