Kenyan authorities have screened more than 665,000 travellers at entry points as part of measures to detect suspected cases and prevent further spread of the disease
By Moses Okorie
Kenya has identified 127 contacts of its first imported case of Bundibugyo virus disease and quarantined 94 of them as health authorities intensify efforts to prevent further transmission, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said.
The UN health agency disclosed this on Monday while announcing the delivery of emergency medical supplies worth approximately $70,000 to support Kenya’s response to the Ebola-related disease.
The supplies are intended to protect frontline healthcare workers, strengthen laboratory testing and improve infection prevention measures across health facilities.
They include protective clothing, isolation gowns, goggles, face shields, Ebola testing kits and specialised containers for transporting potentially infectious laboratory samples.
Other items comprise infrared thermometers, disinfectant sprayers and equipment for infection prevention, waste management and the safe handling of medical materials.
According to WHO, Kenyan authorities have screened more than 665,000 travellers at entry points as part of measures to detect suspected cases and prevent further spread of the disease.
Five laboratories have also been designated for testing, including two mobile facilities located at the Busia and Bungoma border crossings.
The agency added that nearly 5,000 healthcare workers had received training in disease detection, patient management and infection prevention.
WHO Representative to Kenya, Dr Neema Kimambo, said the assistance would strengthen the country’s capacity to manage suspected cases safely and reduce the risk of infections within healthcare facilities.
“Protecting health workers is essential to saving lives,” Kimambo said, stressing the need for effective infection prevention and control measures.
She explained that the supplies would support safe patient care, minimise exposure risks and help ensure the continued delivery of essential health services.
Kenya’s response follows the confirmation of its first imported case of Bundibugyo virus disease on October 6.
WHO said the patient, a Kenyan citizen, became ill while living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) before travelling through Uganda to Nairobi on October 3.
The patient was isolated upon arrival at a hospital, but laboratory tests subsequently confirmed the infection. The individual died on October 5 despite receiving supportive medical care.
WHO initially reported 28 contacts in its October 6 update. The figure has since risen to 127 as contact-tracing activities have expanded.
The development comes amid a wider regional health emergency linked to the outbreak in the DRC, where more than 8,700 confirmed cases have been recorded, according to WHO.
The agency said Uganda brought its outbreak to an end in August, while France and Kenya had each recorded one imported case of Bundibugyo virus disease.
Despite the developments, WHO has maintained its recommendation against imposing travel or trade restrictions on Kenya, Uganda or the DRC.
The organisation continues to emphasise coordinated surveillance, rapid case detection, contact tracing and effective infection-control measures as key strategies for containing the disease and preventing further transmission.