Speaking in Nairobi on Wednesday, WHO Representative Dr. Neema Rusibamayila Kimambo said the coming days would be decisive in preventing community spread of the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, which has now claimed its first life in Kenya.The victim, a local man who had lived in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for several years, fell ill there, where a deadly outbreak continues to spread in the east. He flew to Nairobi via Kampala and Entebbe in Uganda on 3 October, went straight to hospital and died in the Kenyan capital on Monday. Authorities have since identified the people who had come in direct contact with him from social contact and his admission to hospital. So far, there have been no other infections.“This is an outbreak of an imported case, one who came in and went straight to hospital, but the Government is working to identify all the relevant contacts as part of their response to this outbreak,” Dr Kimambo told UN News. Contact tracing underway She said a list of contacts has been identified, including around 10 of the man’s relatives who “have been very cooperative, and some actually volunteered themselves and they are now already placed under quarantine.” Meanwhile, 21 health workers who served him in hospital, as well as lab nurses and others, have also been contacted. Even though these professionals used infection prevention and control (IPC) measures, “the plan is to make sure that they are all under quarantine and decisions have already been made where the staff of the Nairobi Hospital are to be quarantined,” she said. The Kenyan Government is also working with the airline to contact the roughly 23 passengers and four crew members who were on the flight from Entebbe to Kampala. She said the Government was making “every effort” to find all possible contacts: “Because to make sure that we contain this and we do not get community spread, it is critical that all contacts are identified and are quarantined.” Agencies on the case WHO is supporting Kenya, the DRC and Uganda in contact tracing, surveillance, screening and other response measures to rapidly identify potential cases and prevent any further spread of the virus. It is also working with the Africa CDC (Centres for Disease Control and Prevention) to both support Kenya and mobilise Member States. Understanding Ebola Dr. Kimambo stressed that it is important for people to know how Ebola is spread, namely through contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person such as sweat, blood and saliva.She highlighted the need to “maintain utmost hygiene” through regular handwashing, use of hand sanitizers, and avoiding “a lot of hand holding”, in addition to identifying symptoms and seeking medical care early. “I think one key message is not to panic,” she said. “And the second one is let us take necessary precautions and quickly. If someone is feeling unwell, they should go to a health facility to seek care.” Preparedness and support Even before the confirmed case in Kenya, WHO and other UN agencies were supporting Ebola preparedness in the country following its emergence in the DRC in May. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) monitored movements at borders, for example, while children’s agency UNICEF worked on community risk management and issues around water, sanitation and hygiene. WHO focused on measures such as strengthening surveillance, training case managers and conducting simulation exercises. Asked about the risk of Ebola spreading in Kenya, Dr. Kimambo underlined the importance of quarantining so that contacts can be monitored and quickly tested should they develop symptoms. “I think these next few days are critical because we know the incubation period will start from between two to eight days,” she said.“If we are able to ensure that we do proper contact listing, get all contacts, put them in quarantine, then that will be the key to really contain and stop any community spread.”