Nigeria has confirmed a case of Ebola in Abuja, with health authorities identifying 44 people who may have been exposed to the infected patient.
Minister of Health and Social Welfare Muhammad Pate announced the development on Tuesday following laboratory confirmation of the infection on October 20.
The patient, a woman who arrived in Nigeria on an international flight from Uganda, is in isolation and receiving treatment.
Pate said she developed symptoms on October 7 and sought treatment at a private hospital in Abuja four days later. Further tests were carried out after her condition deteriorated, leading to confirmation of Ebola.
Authorities have since begun tracing people who had contact with the patient while she could have transmitted the virus. Those being traced include healthcare workers, caregivers, other patients and fellow travellers.
“Contact tracing has been conducted, and it’s underway as we speak, with 44 contacts already identified presently,” Pate said.
The minister appealed to passengers who travelled with the woman and anyone approached by health officials to cooperate with the investigation.
“Anyone contacted during the contact tracing period that we are in, including those who may have travelled with that individual, should provide necessary information requested and follow public health advice,” he said.
The confirmed case follows heightened surveillance by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention over the risk of Ebola entering the country.
On October 6, the NCDC announced increased monitoring after Kenya confirmed an imported case caused by the Bundibugyo Ebola virus linked to an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The agency warned at the time that international travel and population movement presented a risk of cross-border transmission. Measures were strengthened around surveillance, laboratory testing, isolation, referrals, contact tracing and infection prevention.
Pate said surveillance was being intensified following the Abuja case. The government is also supporting the private hospital that treated the patient to strengthen infection prevention and control.
Healthcare facilities have been asked to remain alert, promptly isolate suspected cases and notify public health authorities.
Ebola spreads primarily through direct contact with the blood or other body fluids of a symptomatic infected person, as well as contaminated materials. Symptoms can appear between two and 21 days after exposure and may include fever, severe headache, weakness, muscle pain, vomiting and diarrhoea.
Health authorities stressed that being identified as a contact does not mean a person has Ebola. Monitoring contacts allows officials to act quickly if symptoms develop.
Pate urged Nigerians to remain calm, maintain regular handwashing and avoid contact with the body fluids of people suspected of having the disease. He also warned against spreading unverified information or stigmatising people linked to the case.
The minister pointed to Nigeria’s response to the 2014 Ebola outbreak and expressed confidence in the country’s public health response systems.
Contact tracing and investigations remain underway, with the government expected to provide further updates as more information becomes available.
The NCDC’s toll-free 6232 line is available around the clock for Ebola-related information and reports of suspected cases.
You Might Also Like
