Nigeria’s government announced on Tuesday the presence of an Ebola case in the capital city of Abuja, following positive laboratory test results confirming the viral infection. Health Minister Muhammad Ali Pate disclosed that the infected individual, a female, had recently traveled from Uganda in East Africa.
The patient is currently isolated and receiving high-quality medical treatment. Health authorities have initiated contact tracing, identifying 44 individuals who may have been exposed to the virus. Ugandan government spokesperson Alan Kasujja denied the presence of Ebola in Uganda when approached for comment.
The patient had been admitted to a private hospital in Abuja where she received care for a few days before the diagnosis was confirmed. Minister Pate assured the public that Nigeria had successfully contained an Ebola outbreak in 2014 and possesses the necessary experience and public health infrastructure to address the current case.
Meanwhile, an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain, was declared in mid-May and has escalated into the world’s second-largest outbreak. Uganda previously reported 20 cases in May and June, predominantly imported from Congo, but was declared Ebola-free by the World Health Organization in August.
Additionally, Kenya has documented nine Ebola cases this month, all connected to an individual who had traveled from Congo. Africa’s leading public health agency, under the leadership of Jean Kaseya, has initiated efforts to assist Nigeria. Kaseya highlighted the widespread impact of the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak, spanning multiple countries across three African regions.