First Ebola Case Detected in Nigeria After Nearly a Decade
A foreign national residing in Nigeria's capital, Abuja, has contracted the first Ebola case in nearly a decade following a trip to Uganda.
Nigeria has reported its first Ebola case in nearly a decade after a foreign woman arriving from Uganda and living in the capital, Abuja, tested positive. Health authorities are tracking contacts and passengers, while the patient is reportedly in isolation and under medical care.
According to Odianosen Ehiakhamen from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), the female Ebola patient arrived in Nigeria on October 5 and began feeling unwell on October 7. Seeking treatment at a private hospital on October 11 with malaria-like symptoms, the patient took an Ebola test on October 19.
Health Minister Muhammad Ali Pate stated that the woman is kept in isolation and receiving quality medical care. Authorities have traced 44 contacts so far, mostly healthcare workers and the woman's Swiss husband. Meanwhile, the Ugandan Ministry of Health stated that there are no confirmed active Ebola cases in the country and that traveling through Uganda does not mean the infection occurred there.
Sources
- reuters.com · Link