First Ebola Case Confirmed in Nigeria, Health Ministers to Hold Emergency Meeting

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has called an emergency meeting of health ministers in response to the Ebola outbreak spreading across Central, East, and West Africa, where Nigeria has confirmed its first case, while authorities have initiated contact tracing.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) issued an emergency call for action to bring the growing Ebola outbreak, which started in Congo and reached Kenya and Nigeria, under control. The organization is preparing to bring together health ministers from African countries to coordinate the response to the outbreak. Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya stated that the virus has crossed borders, calling for a faster response, strong coordination, solidarity, and political leadership.

Nigeria reported its first Ebola case on Tuesday. The case was stated to be linked to a passenger arriving from Uganda earlier this month. Uganda, which declared itself Ebola-free in July after recording 20 cases, rejected claims that the first case in Nigeria originated from its country, emphasizing that it has no active cases. Nigerian authorities have launched efforts to identify 44 people who may have come into contact with the patient, who entered on October 5 and was initially diagnosed with malaria. It was reported that the patient is receiving treatment in isolation, and the contacts include health workers and the patient's spouse, who is a Swiss citizen.

Congo is facing one of the deadliest Ebola outbreaks, with at least 4,000 people losing their lives and confirmed cases reaching 9,552 since May. The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, which has no licensed vaccine or specific treatment. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) stated that the risk of the virus being imported to Europe from affected regions is very low.