Kenya has confirmed four new cases of Ebola caused by the Bundibugyo virus, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to seven, including the first patient who died, the Ministry of Health has announced.
In a press release issued on October 17, 2026, the Ministry said the four new patients had been in quarantine and were immediately isolated after developing fever, their first symptom, before samples were collected for testing.
The samples tested positive at the National Virology Reference Laboratory and the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) laboratory.
The patients are receiving supportive treatment from trained health workers, with the Ministry reporting that the second and third patients were stable and responding well to treatment.
The new cases include a close male relative of the deceased patient and three health workers who attended to the initial patient while he was hospitalised.
The male relative had been in quarantine since October 6, while the three health workers — two men and one woman aged 29, 35 and 32 — had been in quarantine since October 9. They are receiving care at a designated treatment facility.
The Ministry said early detection of the four cases had helped limit the risk of further spread to their families and the wider community.
It reassured Kenyans that the risk to the general public remained low, noting that there was no evidence of community transmission.
Of the 130 contacts identified, 128, representing 98.5 per cent, had been traced and placed under quarantine. The Ministry said the figure was above the global contact-tracing benchmark of 85 per cent, which is considered important in breaking the chain of transmission.
Efforts were continuing to trace the two remaining contacts.
The Ministry cautioned that additional cases could still emerge among quarantined contacts during the mandatory 21-day monitoring period, but said such cases would be detected and treated promptly if symptoms developed.
Dr Patrick Amoth, the Director General for Health said that they are also monitoring four family members of the deceased patient and the health workers who cared for him during his hospital stay.
“Those in quarantine are receiving mental and psychosocial support from dedicated health teams. The country remains open for business, with no restrictions on travel, trade or public gatherings”. He said.
He asked the public to remain calm and vigilant, reminding residents that Ebola spreads through direct contact with the blood or body fluids of an infected or deceased person and not through the air.
He added “People experiencing fever, unusual tiredness, muscle or joint pain, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhoea or unexplained bleeding are advised to report immediately to the nearest health facility”.
