Kenya has confirmed eight Ebola cases following the death of an index patient on October 5, 2026. The latest case involves a 49-year-old patient attendant in quarantine who tested positive on October 18. Health officials are monitoring 128 contacts while neighboring Tanzania tightens border controls. The regional outbreak stems from the Democratic Republic of Congo, where over 4,000 deaths have been recorded since May.
Confirmed Ebola cases in Kenya
- ▪Kenya's first Ebola case involved a 40-year-old Kenyan man who traveled from the Democratic Republic of Congo through Uganda, arrived in Kenya on October 3, 2026, and died at Nairobi Hospital on October 5, 2026
- ▪Among the eight confirmed Ebola cases in Kenya, three are close relatives of the index patient, three are health workers, and one is a patient attendant
- ▪Kenya confirmed one additional Ebola case on October 18, 2026, bringing the total number of confirmed infections in the country to eight
Eighth Ebola case in Kenya
- ▪The 49-year-old patient attendant developed fever, headache, and muscle pain on October 17, 2026, while in quarantine before testing positive for Ebola on October 18, 2026
- ▪The eighth confirmed Ebola case in Kenya involved a 49-year-old male patient attendant who cleaned utensils and linens while tending to the index patient
Ebola contact tracing and testing
- ▪Kenyan health authorities tested 38 people for Ebola on October 18, 2026, with one test returning positive and six other hospitalized patients remaining in stable condition under supportive treatment
- ▪Kenyan health officials listed approximately 130 contacts following the death of the index Ebola patient on October 5, 2026, with 128 remaining in quarantine as of October 18, 2026
Ebola outbreak in DRC
- ▪The Democratic Republic of Congo has recorded at least 4,000 deaths from its Ebola outbreak since May 2026
- ▪The Democratic Republic of Congo confirmed on October 18, 2026, that its Ebola outbreak had spread to an eighth province, North Ubangi
Regional Ebola response
- ▪Tanzania tightened border screenings and instituted mandatory health declarations and 21-day monitoring for travelers entering from high-risk Ebola countries
- ▪Regional health authorities in East Africa placed border health services on heightened alert to prevent cross-border transmission of Ebola
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