Kenya on alert after man dies of Ebola

Health authorities in Kenya say a man who returned from the Democratic Republic of the Congo has died of Ebola. An outbreak of the infectious disease is spreading in the DRC.

Kenya's health minister Aden Duale announced at a news conference on Tuesday that the Kenyan national died the previous day.

The man, who lived in the DRC for seven years, fell ill about a month ago. He traveled by land to neighboring Uganda, then flew to the Kenyan capital of Nairobi and was treated at a hospital.

The minister said the patient tested positive for the Bundibugyo virus that is believed to be the cause of the outbreak. There are no approved vaccines for the virus.

About 8,600 people have been infected in the DRC since May this year, and more than 4,100 of them died.

The United Nations warns that the outbreak is the fastest-growing on record.

Kenyan health officials are on alert for the possible spread of the disease, and working to identify people who had contact with the patient.

Ebola cases were also reported in Uganda, which is located between DRC and Kenya, earlier this year.

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