Nigeria’s confirmed Ebola patient has reportedly been medically evacuated from Abuja for further treatment abroad, as health authorities intensify efforts to prevent the spread of the virus.
The 42-year-old woman, who tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola on October 20, was evacuated on Monday morning, October 26, according to reports. The medical evacuation aircraft reportedly departed from Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. Details of her destination and current medical condition were not immediately available.
The development comes six days after the Federal Government confirmed Nigeria’s first Ebola case in more than a decade, raising concerns about the country’s preparedness and the need to quickly identify anyone who may have been exposed.
The patient had received treatment at a private hospital in Abuja for several days before laboratory tests confirmed the infection. According to health authorities, she developed symptoms on October 7 and sought medical attention on October 11.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has expanded its contact-tracing efforts as part of measures to contain the outbreak.
In its October 24 situation report, the agency said 53 contacts linked to the confirmed case had been identified and were being monitored. They include healthcare workers, domestic staff and the patient’s husband.
The NCDC also reported that two suspected cases, one each in the Federal Capital Territory and Rivers State, had tested negative for Ebola.
The patient’s husband, who travelled with her, has been placed in isolation but had not developed symptoms, according to Switzerland’s Foreign Ministry. The ministry also said the other 25 staff members at the Swiss Embassy in Nigeria were in good health and did not require isolation.
Health officials are also working to establish how the woman contracted the virus. Although she travelled through Uganda before arriving in Nigeria, the precise source of her infection remains unclear. Swiss authorities have said the couple did not travel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the wider Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak began, and believe the infection may have occurred during their trip to Uganda. Ugandan authorities have disputed the suggestion that the woman necessarily contracted the virus there.
The World Health Organization and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention are supporting investigations into the patient’s travel history and possible exposure.
The Bundibugyo strain is a distinct type of Ebola virus, and there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment for this strain. Early detection, isolation, supportive medical care and close monitoring of contacts remain important parts of the response.
As the investigation continues, health authorities are urging healthcare facilities to maintain strict infection-prevention measures and report suspected cases promptly.
The reported evacuation marks a new development in Nigeria’s response to the outbreak, but officials still face the task of tracing possible exposures, determining the source of infection and preventing further transmission.
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