Ebola in Kenya: Why Bundibugyo virus is not airborne and how it actually spreads

After the first case of Ebola was reported in Kenya, the news sent shivers down their spines because the facts about the disease remains scanty.

The fact is Bundibugyo Ebola is not airborne. It spreads only through direct contact with the blood or bodily fluids of a sick person or with contaminated material, the World Health Organisation said, after Kenya recorded its first Ebola death.

The patient, who was admitted at the Nairobi Hospital, succumbed to the disease. Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale confirmed the fatality and activated contact tracing to stop the virus from spreading.

The patient travelled by road from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to Uganda. He then boarded a Jambo Jet flight from Uganda to Kenya.

On arrival, he went through the Port Health facility at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA). He was cleared and picked up by a relative.

He was later admitted at the Nairobi Hospital, where he died.

Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD) is a severe and often fatal form of Ebola disease. It is caused by the Bundibugyo virus.

BVD is a zoonotic disease, meaning it passes from animals to humans. Fruit bats are suspected to be the natural reservoir.

Humans can be infected through broken skin, or through the eyes, nose or mouth, when handling infected animals, monkeys or bushmeat.

No. The virus is not airborne.

It spreads from person to person through direct contact with the bodily fluids of people showing symptoms.

Handling the bodies of people who have died of the disease carries a very high risk of infection.

Yes, especially when they treat unrecognised Ebola without protective gear.

Once the disease is identified, protective measures are highly effective. These include proper personal protective equipment (PPE), disinfection and isolation.

Contact tracing is now underway. It aims to identify and monitor people who came into contact with the patient, so that the disease is curbed before it spreads.