Ebola Outbreak in Africa Reaches Nigeria with Its First Confirmed Case

Nigeria raised health alarms after confirming this Tuesday its first Ebola case in the current outbreak striking the African continent, whose epicenter is in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The patient is a woman who traveled from Uganda to the Nigerian capital, Abuja, national authorities confirmed.

The information was shared with the media by Health Minister Muhammad Ali Pate, who explained in a statement that the affected woman attended a private medical center after her arrival in the country, where she remained hospitalized for several days before the infection was confirmed.

"The patient, a woman who recently arrived in Nigeria on an international flight from Uganda, was admitted to a private hospital… where she received medical care for several days before the diagnosis was confirmed," Pate reported.

The statement also specifies that "she is currently isolated and receiving medical care…," adding that "contact tracing has begun and 44 close contacts have currently been identified."

On the other hand, the DRC is going through a critical situation with this epidemic, with high numbers of infections and deaths, as well as intense community transmission. The spread of the virus forced neighboring nations to strengthen epidemiological controls.

The current emergency began in May with the declaration of a viral hemorrhagic fever outbreak in that country, which is classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a public health emergency of international concern.

Unlike previous outbreaks, caused by the "Zaire ebolavirus" strain, on this occasion the infections are caused by the so-called "Bundibugyo" strain, a very unusual one for which no treatment or vaccine is available.

Official data place the epidemic in Congolese territory as the most devastating in the country's history, a situation that has claimed around 4,381 lives out of a total of 9,000 confirmed infections.

While Nigeria faces its first case, Kenya's Ministry of Health reported a new infected patient this Tuesday, bringing to nine the total number of infections detected in the territory within this latest outbreak in Africa.