Nigeria has confirmed an Ebola case in its capital, Abuja, as health authorities across Africa respond to the spread of an outbreak that has also produced nine confirmed infections in Kenya and more than 9,000 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The Nigerian patient arrived from Uganda and was admitted to a private hospital in Abuja before testing positive, according to the (AP), citing Nigeria's Health Ministry. Health Minister Muhammad Pate said authorities were tracing 44 people identified as contacts of the patient.
Kenya, meanwhile, confirmed its ninth case Tuesday, with health officials saying all nine remain within one known cluster and there is no evidence of transmission beyond known contacts of the country's first patient. The development comes amid a much larger outbreak centered in the DRC, where the World Health Organization (WHO) reported 9,066 confirmed cases and 4,381 deaths as of October 11, with a crude case-fatality rate of 48.3 percent. Kenya's cluster remains limited to nine known cases, but the initial imported infection highlights the potential for the virus to cross international borders.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said this is the second-largest Ebola outbreak on record. The outbreak is caused by Bundibugyo virus, which was confirmed in the DRC and Uganda in May. The WHO said there is no approved vaccine or specific treatment for Bundibugyo virus disease, although early supportive care can improve survival.
For Americans, the CDC said in a statement Tuesday that no cases linked to the current outbreak had been reported in the United States. The agency considers the likelihood of the virus spreading to the U.S. very low and says the overall risk to the American public and travelers remains low. Newsweek reached out to the CDC for comment by email Tuesday.
A WHO spokesperson told Newsweek on Tuesday: "The imported case detected in Kenya, following travel from the DRC through Uganda, underscores the risk of further international spread and the need to maintain measures in place, including for preparedness and readiness in countries close to the DRC, including the ability to rapidly detect and investigate suspected cases, activate response teams and coordinate across borders." The statement said the agency has been supporting the Kenyan Ministry of Health and gave supplies worth around $70,000 USD that included "protective equipment, testing supplies and infrared thermometers for screening travellers." The agency said it "advises against any restriction of travel to, or trade with, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda or Kenya based on the currently available information." Nigeria’s first confirmed Ebola case adds another country to the regional response as health officials work to contain an outbreak that has already affected the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and Kenya. The patient tested positive after arriving in Nigeria from Uganda and was admitted to a private hospital in Abuja, according to the AP, citing Nigeria’s Health Ministry. Health Minister Pate said authorities had begun tracing 44 people identified as contacts of the patient.
The case is notable because Uganda had previously recorded Ebola infections but was later declared free of the virus, according to AP. However, the AP report does not establish where the Nigerian patient became infected, so it would be premature to describe the case as evidence that Ebola transmission has resumed in Uganda. Nigeria’s case follows the emergence of a separate cluster in Kenya, where nine cases have been confirmed.
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