Nigeria is monitoring 44 contacts of its first confirmed Ebola patient after tests identified the Bundibugyo strain, which has driven a deadly outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The patient, a diplomat whose nationality has not been disclosed, has reportedly developed multi-organ failure, officials said at an emergency meeting on Wednesday.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) confirmed that the patient tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain after travelling from Uganda to Abuja on October 3.
Olajumoke Babatunde, director of the NCDC’s public health laboratory service, said three rounds of molecular testing had been conducted to identify the strain. The World Health Organisation (WHO) also confirmed the result.
There is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment for the Bundibugyo strain, raising concerns as health authorities work to prevent further transmission.
The NCDC said it had identified 44 contacts who were being monitored, while efforts continued to trace others who might have been exposed to the virus.
The WHO said infection prevention and control measures were being strengthened at the private hospital where the diplomat sought treatment.
The confirmation comes amid a wider Ebola outbreak that has spread across parts of central, eastern and western Africa. The Democratic Republic of Congo has recorded more than 9,000 confirmed cases and 4,381 deaths, according to health authorities.
Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention Director General Jean Kaseya warned on Tuesday that the outbreak posed an extremely serious threat, urging the international community to act urgently.
He described the Bundibugyo outbreak as the most geographically widespread Ebola outbreak in history, affecting multiple countries across three African regions.
Kenya has also reported its ninth Ebola case and death, while Uganda was declared Ebola-free by the WHO in August after recording 20 cases, most involving people who had travelled from the DRC.
Nigeria’s last Ebola outbreak occurred in 2014, when authorities contained the spread of the virus after it entered the country.
The latest case has prompted renewed concern about the country’s preparedness, although some residents expressed confidence in the government’s ability to contain the disease.
Civil servant Anthony Ojogho said Nigeria had previously demonstrated its capacity to respond to major disease outbreaks, including Ebola and COVID-19.
Health authorities are expected to rely on contact tracing, surveillance and infection-control measures to limit the risk of further transmission.
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