Nigeria has confirmed its first case of Ebola in the capital city of Abuja, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing outbreak that is spreading across the African continent. The health ministry announced that a woman who had recently arrived from Uganda tested positive for the virus after being admitted to a hospital in the capital.
The patient began showing symptoms on October 7 and was hospitalized four days later, where she was subsequently diagnosed with Ebola. Health authorities have not disclosed the woman’s nationality, though Uganda’s health ministry stated she is a Nigerian citizen who had been on a business trip to the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It remains unclear exactly when she arrived in Nigeria, which is the most populous country in Africa.
Contact Tracing Underway in Abuja
Health Minister Muhammad Pate confirmed that authorities have identified 44 individuals as contacts of the patient. “We are doing everything possible to contain this case by tracing all the contacts the individual may have had,” Pate said. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control stated that its efforts are focused on early detection, isolation, laboratory diagnosis, and infection prevention measures.
Uganda’s health ministry clarified that the patient only transited through its territory and insisted that the country currently has no confirmed active Ebola cases. The ministry emphasized that travel through Uganda does not necessarily establish where the infection occurred, noting that the location of exposure is still under investigation.
Regional Spread and Historical Context
This development adds to a growing list of nations affected by the current Ebola outbreak. Kenya confirmed its first case earlier this month and has since recorded nine infections. Uganda had previously reported cases but later declared itself free of the virus. The current outbreak is driven by the Bundibugyo strain, which has infected more than 9,500 people and killed more than 4,600 people since it emerged in Congo in mid-May.
Dr. Jean Kaseya, director general of the Africa Centers for Disease Control, described the situation as an “extremely serious threat” with a fatality rate of nearly 50 percent. He noted that this outbreak has become the most geographically extensive in history, affecting several countries across three regions of Africa.
The World Health Organization has stated that this is the fastest-spreading Ebola outbreak on record. It is on track to exceed the deadliest outbreak in history, which killed 11,000 people in West Africa between 2014 and 2016. Nigeria had established an Ebola taskforce in June in response to the outbreak in Congo, and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control had stepped up surveillance two weeks ago following the detection of the virus in Kenya.
Source: The Guardian
