Nigeria confirms first Ebola case

A dose of the vaccine “Ervebo” against the Ebola virus

The first case of Ebola infection has been confirmed in Nigeria. The patient had recently arrived by plane from Uganda and was treated for several days in a private hospital in the area of the capital Abuja, said the health Ministry of the West African country. Laboratory results have now revealed that the woman was infected with the Ebola virus of the Bundibugyo strain. According to the Ministry, she is in isolation and receiving medical care.

The Ministry of Health is working closely with the other competent authorities to contain the infection and prevent spread, it said. So far, 44 contacts have been identified, including medical staff, other patients, nurses and travel contacts.

The hospital where the Ebola patient is located receives immediate support to strengthen measures for infection prevention and control. The government called on all public and private health facilities in the country with a population of around 220 million to “high vigilance”.

The current Ebola outbreak began in mid-May in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Nigeria is now the fourth African country to report cases of the Bundibugyo variant. In the Central African Congo, according to the health authority, 9552 cases and 4602 deaths have been registered. Eight Ebola cases, including one death, are currently known in Kenya, East Africa.

Also in Uganda, which borders the Congo and Kenya, there were a total of 20 confirmed Ebola cases, which were attributed to a patient from the Congo. Two patients died. Uganda, however, announced the end of its Ebola outbreak in late August after no new case was recorded for more than 42 days.

Never before has the Ebola virus spread so quickly in the Congo. It is far ahead of the doctors, who are also threatened in the war zone. The UN is calling the world to help. Read the whole text here.