A 34-year-old pilot and his wife, a medical doctor, have tested negative for Ebola Virus Disease after developing symptoms that prompted their admission to an isolation centre in Adamawa State.
The couple was admitted to the isolation centre of Modibbo Adama University Teaching Hospital (MAUTH), Yola, on October 29, following investigations by health authorities.
The pilot reportedly developed symptoms on October 13, while his wife began experiencing similar signs on October 25 after caring for him at home.
According to an internal memo from the Adamawa State Ministry of Health and Human Services, the pilot had travelled to Kenya for personal reasons on October 14 and returned to Nigeria on October 25.
He reportedly developed fever before the trip and was treated for malaria but remained well during his stay in Kenya.
Upon returning to Yola, he developed fever, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, headache, cough, bleeding gums and nosebleeds. His wife subsequently developed similar symptoms.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) confirmed that laboratory tests on samples collected from the two patients were negative for Ebola after two rounds of testing.
The agency said there was no laboratory-confirmed Ebola case in Adamawa, adding that the previously confirmed case in the Federal Capital Territory remained Nigeria’s only confirmed infection.
The Adamawa State Public Health Emergency Operations Centre identified and traced 18 contacts linked to the suspected cases, while a preliminary report put the number at 17.
Health authorities also notified the State Rapid Response Team, the NCDC, the World Health Organisation and UNICEF as part of efforts to strengthen surveillance and prevent possible transmission.
The development comes amid heightened surveillance following Nigeria’s confirmation of its first Ebola case in the current outbreak.
The confirmed case involved a woman who travelled from Uganda to Abuja and tested positive on October 20. She was subsequently evacuated to Switzerland for further treatment.
The NCDC has urged Nigerians to remain calm and avoid spreading unverified information, advising people with symptoms such as fever, severe weakness, headache, vomiting, diarrhoea or unexplained bleeding to seek immediate medical attention, particularly after possible exposure.
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