UK issues travel advisory after Kenya confirms first Ebola case

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has updated its travel advice for Kenya following the confirmation of the country’s first imported case of Bundibugyo Ebola virus disease.

The warning issued October 7, comes as the government steps up surveillance and containment measures after the Ministry of Health confirmed the case on October 6.

The patient, a Kenyan citizen who had been living in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), travelled by road to Kampala before flying to Nairobi on October 3.

He was taken to hospital, isolated and later tested positive for Bundibugyo Ebola.

He has since died and buried. 

The Ministry has identified 28 contacts, including family members and healthcare workers who attended to the patient, while tracing 23 passengers and four crew members who were on the same flight.

Quarantine arrangements are underway for people considered to have been at risk.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said Kenya notified it of the imported case on October 6 in line with the International Health Regulations.

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Kenya is the fourth country to confirm a case linked to the current Bundibugyo Ebola situation in the region.

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has urged Kenyans not to panic, saying systems are in place to respond to the disease.

The Ministry is encouraging frequent handwashing, use of alcohol-based hand rubs and avoidance of close contact with sick people arriving from countries reporting active Ebola transmission.

The government has also urged anyone who develops symptoms after potential exposure to seek care at a recognised health facility and to rely on official Ministry of Health updates.

The FCDO has separately warned against all travel to specified parts of Kenya, including Mandera, parts of Wajir and Garissa, and most of Lamu County, but these warnings are primarily linked to security risks rather than the Ebola outbreak.

It also advises against all but essential travel to some other areas.

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