Kenya has confirmed a second case of Bundibugyo Ebola virus disease, with the Ministry of Health saying the patient was already in quarantine when he developed symptoms, allowing health officials to detect and isolate him early.
In a press release issued on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, Director General for Health Dr Patrick Amoth said the patient is a 39-year-old man and a close family member of Kenya’s first confirmed Ebola patient.
The latest confirmation brings the country's total to two cases and one death, with the government maintaining that there is no evidence of wider community transmission.
According to the Ministry, the man developed fever, fatigue and joint pains on October 13 while under daily monitoring in quarantine.
Health officials immediately isolated him and collected a specimen for laboratory testing. The sample tested positive at both the National Virology Reference Laboratory and the KEMRI-CDC laboratory, confirming the second infection.
The patient has since been transferred to a designated treatment centre, where medical teams are providing supportive care.
"The response is working as designed," Amoth said, explaining that quarantine enabled health workers to identify the infection at the onset of symptoms and reduce the risk of further transmission.
The Ministry said it would provide updates on the patient's progress as treatment continues.
108 Contacts in Quarantine
The government has intensified contact tracing following the second confirmation, with health authorities also assessing people who may have interacted with the new patient after he developed symptoms.
Amoth said the Ministry had listed 128 contacts linked to the first case, of whom 113 had been traced as of October 13.
Of those traced, 108 are in quarantine in Kenya and undergoing daily clinical assessments and temperature checks for 21 days from their last possible exposure.
Five other contacts are outside the country, with authorities in the respective countries notified in accordance with the International Health Regulations.
The Ministry said efforts to trace the remaining 15 contacts were ongoing.
Health officials are also investigating potential exposure involving quarantine personnel and healthcare workers who may have come into contact with the second patient.
The government has directed that any contact who develops symptoms must be isolated and tested immediately. Infection prevention and control measures have also been strengthened at quarantine and treatment facilities, with health workers supplied with protective equipment.
Government Issues Public Health Advisory
The Ministry said Kenya's Ebola response is being coordinated through a single national command and guided by the Public Health (Declaration of Formidable Epidemic Disease) Order, 2026, and the Public Health (Ebola Disease) Rules, 2026.
The World Health Organization has been notified in line with international health regulations.
Despite the latest confirmation, the government said Kenya remained open, with no restrictions imposed on travel, trade or public gatherings.
Amoth urged Kenyans to remain calm and vigilant, warning that Ebola spreads through direct contact with the blood or body fluids of an infected person or someone who has died from the disease.
He advised anyone experiencing fever, unusual tiredness, muscle or joint pain, vomiting, diarrhoea or unexplained bleeding to seek medical attention promptly at the nearest health facility.
The Ministry also urged the public to respect the affected family's privacy and rely on official government communications for updates.
Kenyans seeking information about the disease have been directed to call the Ministry of Health's toll-free number, 719.