Kenya confirms third Ebola case in a 65-year-old woman already in quarantine

Kenya has confirmed a third case of Ebola (Bundibugyo virus disease), in a 65-year-old woman who was already in quarantine, the Ministry of Health said on 16 October 2026. Capital FM and The Star both reported the announcement.

Director General for Health Patrick Amoth said the woman is a close relative and primary contact of the first two patients. She had been in quarantine since 6 October.

While in quarantine she developed a fever, a sore throat and general body weakness. She was isolated and tested, and her samples were positive at the National Virology Reference Laboratory and at the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI). She is receiving supportive care at an Infectious Disease Unit.

She was already in quarantine when symptoms began and was diagnosed early as a result, the ministry said. The second patient remains stable and is responding well to supportive care, according to The Star.

Of the 130 contacts identified, 127 (97.7 per cent) have been traced and placed in quarantine, and efforts to trace the remaining three are continuing. The ministry said the tracing rate was above the global benchmark of 85 per cent considered necessary to help break the chain of transmission, The Star reported.

The ministry said the risk to the general public remains low, with no evidence of community transmission. No restrictions have been imposed on travel, trade or public gatherings.

As of 15 October, 685,027 people had been screened at Kenya's international airports since the outbreak began in May 2026, the ministry said. Protective equipment and infection prevention and control supplies have been sent to 28 high-risk counties and points of entry.

Travellers arriving from 10 high-risk countries must complete a digital surveillance form before boarding and show a QR code to port health officers on arrival. All aircraft arriving from those countries go through enhanced public health screening at Kenya's international airports.

The ministry said Ebola spreads through direct contact with the blood or body fluids of an infected or dead person. Anyone with a fever, unusual tiredness, muscle or joint pain, vomiting, diarrhoea or unexplained bleeding should go to the nearest health facility or call the ministry's toll-free line, 719.