Sierra Leone has heightened nationwide Ebola surveillance and preparedness after Kenya confirmed seven cases of Ebola, including one death, linked to the ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The National Public Health Agency (NPHA) says it is stepping up screening at Freetown International Airport (Lungi) and at official land border crossings, particularly for travellers arriving from East and Central Africa.
According to NPHA, Kenyan health authorities on 17 October 2026 confirmed four new cases, three healthcare workers who treated the first patient and a male relative of that patient. These are the first cases of person-to-person transmission inside Kenya. All four were already under quarantine when they developed symptoms, so authorities say there is still no evidence of wider community transmission in Kenya.
The four new cases bring Kenya’s total to seven. An eighth case, a hospital attendant who washed linen was announced on 18 October.
The outbreak stems from the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola first identified in Uganda in 2007. Unlike the Zaire strain that devastated Sierra Leone in 2014-2016, when more than 14,000 people were infected and nearly 4,000 died in Sierra Leone alone — there is no approved vaccine for the Bundibugyo strain. A vaccine candidate trial is currently underway in Uganda. That makes early detection, isolation and infection prevention critical.
In the DRC, where the outbreak was declared in May 2026, the situation has deteriorated sharply. As of mid-October, WHO reports more than 9,400 confirmed cases and over 4,500 deaths across at least eight provinces, with a case fatality rate close to 50%. Kenya is the fourth country to be affected after the DRC, Uganda and a travel-related case in France earlier this year.
The first Kenyan patient was a Kenyan citizen who had lived in the DRC for seven years. He fell ill there, travelled by road through Beni to Kampala, Uganda, then boarded a Jambojet flight to Nairobi on 3 October. He was isolated at Nairobi Hospital and died on the night of 5 October.
In response, NPHA, working with the Ministry of Health, the Sierra Leone Civil Aviation Authority and other partners, says it has:
– Strengthened health screening and surveillance at Lungi and land borders
– Increased focus on travellers from affected countries
– Reactivated rapid response teams that were central to Sierra Leone’s previous Ebola responses
What the public should know:
Ebola spreads through direct contact with the blood or body fluids of a sick or dead infected person, or contaminated materials like bedding. A person is not infectious until symptoms appear.
Symptoms appear 2 to 21 days after exposure: sudden fever, severe weakness, headache, muscle pain, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain. Bleeding can occur but is not always present.
NPHA advises:
– Report immediately by calling the free hotline 117 if you have symptoms or suspect contact
– Monitor your health for 21 days after arriving from Kenya, DRC or other affected areas
– Complete the health declaration at https://poep.npha.gov.sl within 72 hours before travel
– Wash hands regularly with soap, avoid contact with blood/body fluids of suspected cases, and never touch the body of anyone suspected to have died from Ebola
– Cooperate with health officials at airports and borders and give accurate travel history
NPHA Executive Director, Brig. Gen. Prof. Foday Sahr said, “Early reporting saves lives. Stay alert, follow health guidance and call 117 if you suspect Ebola.”
The Agency urges the public to remain calm but vigilant, rely only on verified information from NPHA and the Ministry of Health, avoid spreading rumours, and treat travellers and affected families with dignity and respect.
