Nigeria’s government confirmed a case of Ebola in the capital city of Abuja following positive laboratory test results. Health Minister Muhammad Ali Pate disclosed that the infected individual, a female, had recently traveled from Uganda in East Africa. The patient is currently in isolation receiving quality medical treatment, with contact tracing efforts underway, having identified 44 contacts so far.
Uganda’s government spokesperson, Alan Kasujja, denied the presence of Ebola in Uganda when asked for a statement. The patient had initially sought care at a private hospital in Abuja before the Ebola diagnosis was confirmed after several days of treatment.
Minister Pate reassured the public, citing Nigeria’s successful containment of Ebola in 2014 and the country’s preparedness to handle the current case. Meanwhile, an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain, has escalated to become the world’s second-largest outbreak since mid-May.
In a related context, Uganda reported 20 Ebola cases between May and June, primarily imported from Congo, but was declared Ebola-free by the World Health Organization in August. Kenya also reported nine Ebola cases this month, all linked to an individual who had traveled from Congo. Africa’s leading public health agency, under the leadership of Jean Kaseya, has initiated support mobilization for Nigeria in response to the situation.
Kaseya highlighted the extensive reach of the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak, affecting multiple countries across three African regions, making it one of the most geographically widespread outbreaks in history.
