Ebola Alert: Jambojet Seeks Passengers, Crew On Flight JM 8523
By Our Correspondent
Jambojet is working with health authorities to identify and manage passengers and crew who may have come into contact with Kenya’s first confirmed Ebola patient, who travelled from Entebbe to Nairobi on flight JM 8523.
The airline said that the passenger travelled on the flight from Entebbe to Nairobi on Saturday, October 3, as the Ministry of Health intensified contact tracing following confirmation of the Ebola case.
Jambojet said it was working with the Ministry of Health, Port Health Services and other relevant authorities to support the public health response.
The effort includes identifying and managing passengers and crew who may have been in contact with the passenger.
“Jambojet is aware of reports concerning a guest who travelled on Saturday 3rd October on flight JM 8523 from Entebbe to Nairobi,” the statement read in part.
The airline said the health and safety of its passengers, crew and staff remained its highest priority.
It also urged passengers and members of the public to rely on official updates from its verified social media platforms and health authorities.
The development follows confirmation by Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale that Kenya has recorded its first imported case of Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease.
The patient was a Kenyan citizen who had lived in the Democratic Republic of Congo for seven years. He fell ill about a month ago while in the DRC and received treatment at several hospitals before travelling by road to Kampala, Uganda.
From Kampala, the patient boarded Jambojet flight JM 8523 and arrived at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi at about 1pm on Saturday.
He underwent routine public health screening at the airport before proceeding through immigration. A relative and a friend then took him to Nairobi Hospital, where he was isolated and later transferred to the hospital’s East Wing isolation facility.
The patient died at Nairobi Hospital on Monday night, according to the Ministry of Health. His burial was scheduled for Tuesday under Ebola public health protocols.
Health authorities have identified 28 contacts of the deceased, including family members and healthcare workers who attended to him.
Separately, the government is tracing 23 passengers and four crew members who travelled on the same Jambojet flight.
Authorities have prepared quarantine arrangements for people considered to be at risk as contact tracing continues.
The Ministry of Health said Kenya has maintained heightened surveillance since the Ebola outbreak began in the DRC.
As of October 6, authorities had screened 652,584 travellers and tested 267 samples through five laboratories, with only the confirmed case returning positive. The government also said 4,971 healthcare workers at county and national levels had been trained in Ebola response.
Health Director-General Patrick Amoth said Kenya would maintain heightened surveillance at formal border crossing points, including Busia and Malaba, and intensify screening of travellers arriving from the region.
“We also appeal to the public to ensure that when they make the declaration, be as truthful as possible because early seeking, early identification, and early health care seeking potentially could be able to save your life,” Amoth said.
Duale urged Kenyans to remain calm, saying the country had put measures in place to prevent further transmission.
“I wish to reassure the public not to panic, as all systems are in place to mitigate the spread of the disease,” Duale said.
The public has been advised to maintain good hand hygiene, avoid close contact with people who are sick and seek medical attention when experiencing concerning symptoms, particularly after potential exposure.
The case comes amid a major Ebola outbreak in the DRC involving the Bundibugyo strain. The outbreak has also affected Uganda, although the World Health Organisation declared Uganda free of the disease in August.
Kenya has notified the World Health Organisation of the confirmed case in line with international health regulations.
Jambojet said it would continue providing updates as more information becomes available and asked passengers to rely on official communication as authorities complete contact tracing.
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