Nigeria Confirms Ebola Infection in Patient Arriving from Uganda
(MENAFN) Nigeria has confirmed an Ebola infection in a woman who travelled from Uganda in East Africa to Abuja, the capital of the West African country, raising concerns about the virus spreading beyond the region currently affected by the outbreak.
Health Minister Muhammad Ali Pate announced that laboratory testing had verified the diagnosis. The patient has been admitted to a hospital in Abuja, where she is receiving treatment under isolation.
Authorities have launched contact-tracing operations to limit further transmission and have identified 44 people who had close contact with the woman.
Nigeria is the first country in West Africa to report an Ebola case associated with the ongoing outbreak in East Africa. The country previously contained an Ebola outbreak in 2014.
Ebola is a rare and potentially fatal viral disease. Symptoms can worsen to include vomiting and diarrhoea, while severe cases may result in organ failure. Some infected individuals also experience internal or external bleeding, although this does not occur in every case.
Transmission happens through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person, including blood and vomit.
The outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which started in May, has resulted in at least 4,600 deaths and more than 9,500 reported infections, according to figures cited in public health reports. The outbreak is attributed to the Bundibugyo strain, a relatively uncommon variant for which no vaccine or treatment has received approval, although clinical trials are ongoing.
Uganda also reported infections following the outbreak's emergence, with at least two deaths recorded. The country declared the outbreak over in August after its final patient was discharged from medical care.
Kenya has likewise reported at least nine infections as the virus continues to pose a regional health concern.
On Monday, the United States urged its citizens to reconsider travelling to Kenya because of health-related risks and raised the country's travel advisory level.
In response to the wider outbreak, Nigeria has intensified disease monitoring and prevention efforts. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control has also issued public health guidance aimed at travellers to help reduce the risk of further transmission.
Health Minister Muhammad Ali Pate announced that laboratory testing had verified the diagnosis. The patient has been admitted to a hospital in Abuja, where she is receiving treatment under isolation.
Authorities have launched contact-tracing operations to limit further transmission and have identified 44 people who had close contact with the woman.
Nigeria is the first country in West Africa to report an Ebola case associated with the ongoing outbreak in East Africa. The country previously contained an Ebola outbreak in 2014.
Ebola is a rare and potentially fatal viral disease. Symptoms can worsen to include vomiting and diarrhoea, while severe cases may result in organ failure. Some infected individuals also experience internal or external bleeding, although this does not occur in every case.
Transmission happens through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person, including blood and vomit.
The outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which started in May, has resulted in at least 4,600 deaths and more than 9,500 reported infections, according to figures cited in public health reports. The outbreak is attributed to the Bundibugyo strain, a relatively uncommon variant for which no vaccine or treatment has received approval, although clinical trials are ongoing.
Uganda also reported infections following the outbreak's emergence, with at least two deaths recorded. The country declared the outbreak over in August after its final patient was discharged from medical care.
Kenya has likewise reported at least nine infections as the virus continues to pose a regional health concern.
On Monday, the United States urged its citizens to reconsider travelling to Kenya because of health-related risks and raised the country's travel advisory level.
In response to the wider outbreak, Nigeria has intensified disease monitoring and prevention efforts. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control has also issued public health guidance aimed at travellers to help reduce the risk of further transmission.
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