Ebola Case Confirmed in Nigeria Amid Regional Outbreak
A health worker administered the Ervebo vaccine against Ebola in Beni, North Kivu province, eastern Congo, on October 16. The image is attributed to Sebastien Kitsa Musayi via AP.
Nigeria has confirmed an Ebola case in Abuja. The Health Ministry announced that a woman from Uganda tested positive for the virus. She began showing symptoms on October 7 and was hospitalized on October 11, where she was diagnosed.
Health Minister Muhammad Pate stated they are tracing 44 contacts of the patient. “We are doing everything possible to contain this case by tracing all the contacts the individual may have had,” he said.
Uganda previously reported Ebola cases but later declared it free of the virus. Now, Nigeria joins other countries in reporting cases as the outbreak spreads in the region. Kenya confirmed its first case this month and now has nine infections.
Dr. Jean Kaseya, director-general of the Africa Centers for Disease Control, highlighted the severity of the situation. He mentioned on platform X that “we are facing an extremely serious threat,” noting a fatality rate of nearly 50%.
“This Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak has become the most geographically extensive in history, affecting several countries across three regions of Africa,” Kaseya said.
Two weeks ago, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control raised its surveillance following Ebola’s detection in Kenya. They aim to enhance early detection, isolation, laboratory diagnosis, infection control, contact tracing, risk communication, and healthcare worker protection.
Nigeria set up an Ebola task force in June due to the outbreak in Congo. “We do not want a repeat of what happened during the last outbreak,” said Femi Gbajabiamila, chief of staff to President Bola Tinubu.
He emphasized the progress made in preparedness. “We have covered a lot of ground and established structures to address any potential threat,” Gbajabiamila added.
Concerns about Ebola’s spread beyond Congo remain high. The Bundibugyo virus has infected over 9,000 people and caused over 4,300 deaths. The outbreak is spreading faster than previous ones and may surpass the 2014-2016 West African outbreak, which killed 11,000.
Nigeria experienced 20 cases during the West African outbreak before it ended in the country after three months. WHO has been monitoring the situation closely.