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Mombasa deaths: Preliminary report rules out contagious disease
Members of the public follow proceedings during a security baraza at Migadini, Mombasa on July 17, 2025, following reports of the outbreak of a mysterious disease in the area.
A preliminary report compiled by the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre in Mombasa has ruled out a contagious disease outbreak in Migadini, following the deaths of four individuals in Matangini and Mkala villages, which had sparked public alarm last week.
According to the report dated July 18, no infectious pathogens such as Mpox were detected in samples collected from two of the bodies.
“There were no suspicious skin bruises and no indication of an infectious disease. The findings point to natural causes and environmental contamination,” the report stated.
In addition, no new deaths have been reported since July 15, easing fears of a spreading outbreak in the two villages of Changamwe Sub-county. Health officials concluded that the cluster of deaths does not indicate any ongoing public health threat.
Investigations attributed the deaths to individual medical conditions. Advanced stages of decomposition were noted in some cases, which led to the detection of naturally occurring bacteria.
One of the victims, identified as D.F., was confirmed through a post-mortem to have died from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), it is a common lung disease that causes restricted airflow and breathing problems. It is sometimes called emphysema or chronic bronchitis, and is mainly caused by smoking or air pollution.
"Several processes can cause the airways to become narrow and lead to COPD. There may be destruction of parts of the lung, mucus blocking the airways, and inflammation and swelling of the airway lining," the WHO states.
Another body, belonging to a 55-year-old man identified as J.O., was too decomposed for an autopsy, but bacterial tests also ruled out Mpox and confirmed the presence of decomposition-related organisms.
Two other bodies, referred to in the report as S and P, had already been embalmed. They appeared emaciated and showed signs of prolonged illness, but not of a contagious disease. All the deaths occurred within a 500-metre radius in the two villages, and all bodies were found inside houses within a week.
The Mombasa County Department of Health, the Ministry of Health, and other local stakeholders intervened to establish the root cause of the deaths. Samples were taken to the Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri) in Kilifi County for analysis. Final confirmatory results from KEMRI are expected later this week.
As part of the ongoing response, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has been tasked with locating relatives of one of the victims to enable a full post-mortem.
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