Nigeria confirmed an Ebola case in its capital, Abuja, on Tuesday after a woman who arrived from Uganda tested positive for the virus, the Health Ministry said.
The woman began showing symptoms on Oct. 7 and was admitted to a private hospital in Abuja on Oct. 11, before being diagnosed with Ebola.
Health Minister Muhammad Pate said authorities had begun tracing 44 people identified as 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 had previously reported Ebola cases but was later declared free of the virus.
Nigeria is the latest country to report an Ebola case after neighboring Kenya confirmed its first case earlier this month. Kenya has now recorded 9 cases so far.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control said two weeks ago it was stepping up surveillance following the detection of Ebola in Kenya and strengthening the country’s preparedness for a potential outbreak.
“These efforts have focused on early detection, isolation and referral, laboratory diagnosis, infection prevention and control, contact tracing, risk communication and protection of health care workers,” the agency said.
The spread of Ebola beyond Congo has heightened longstanding fears among health authorities about the rapid transmission of the rare Bundibugyo virus, which has infected more than 9,000 people and killed more than 4,300 people.
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AP’s Africa coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/africa
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