Wajir, Kenya — Kenyan health authorities have reported a negative preliminary Ebola test for a 20-year-old man in Wajir County, easing concerns about a possible second case following the country’s first confirmed imported infection.

Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi announced the result on Thursday, October 8, saying the patient had been assessed at Habaswein Sub-County Hospital in Wajir South.

The man had travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) through Uganda, following a route similar to that taken by Kenya’s first confirmed Ebola patient, who later died in Nairobi.

Wajir patient tests negative for Ebola

The preliminary laboratory result comes two days after Kenya confirmed its first imported case of Bundibugyo virus disease, a form of Ebola.

The first patient, a Kenyan citizen who had lived in the DRC for seven years, arrived in Nairobi on October 3 and died on October 5.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is supporting Kenyan health authorities with contact tracing and disease surveillance following the confirmed infection.

Kenya intensifies Ebola contact tracing and screening

Kenyan authorities have identified 28 contacts linked to the first confirmed patient, including people who may have been exposed during his journey and subsequent treatment.

Health officials are also tracing 23 passengers and four crew members who travelled on the same flight to Nairobi.

The government has stepped up screening at high-risk entry points and strengthened preparedness measures at health facilities to detect and respond to suspected infections.

DRC Ebola outbreak raises regional concerns

Kenya’s heightened surveillance comes amid an ongoing Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

According to WHO figures cited as of October 6, the DRC had recorded 8,728 confirmed cases and 4,205 deaths.

The outbreak has raised concerns about cross-border transmission as health authorities in neighboring countries continue monitoring travelers and potential cases.