Ten people who came into contact with a man who died of Ebola in Kenya have been quarantined, according to health officials in the East African nation. This marks the first-ever Ebola case in Kenya, raising concerns about the country's screening measures.

Background

The patient, who had traveled from the Democratic Republic of Congo, died in a hospital in Nairobi on Monday. Health officials are also tracing 57 other contacts of the Kenyan patient. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention chief, Jean Kaseya, stated that the patient had been sick for a month and passed through multiple cities in DR Congo, driving to Uganda and eventually flying to Kenya without his illness being detected.

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"We know that he left Buta, a city in northern DR Congo, to drive to Kisangani. And from Kisangani, he took a flight to Beni. From Beni, he drove to Uganda. And from Uganda, he took a flight to Nairobi," Kaseya told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme. "What are symptoms he was presenting? Why was he not detected?"

Current Situation

The Ebola virus spreads through contact with infected bodily fluids such as blood or vomit. The current outbreak in DR Congo, which began in May, is caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, which is relatively rare and has no approved vaccine or treatment, although trials are underway.

Kaseya mentioned that the Africa CDC is investigating the case alongside Congolese authorities, and a team from the organization is set to meet with Kenyan health officials. Patrick Amoth, a health ministry official, suggested that the patient might have passed screening after taking medications that masked his symptoms.

After arriving at the airport in Nairobi, the patient was transferred by a relative to a hospital where he died and was buried on Tuesday in accordance with health safety guidelines.

Public Response

Kenyan authorities have urged the public not to panic, assuring that heightened surveillance is in place at airports and border crossings. However, Dr. Dennis Miskellah, a representative from Kenya's main doctors' union, expressed that the Ebola case did not come as a surprise to him or most health workers. He noted lapses at various border points, including those with Uganda and Tanzania, as well as at Kenya's main airport.