Nigeria has confirmed one case of Ebola disease in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and identified 44 close contacts as authorities begin tracing efforts to prevent further transmission.
Nigeria’s Health Minister Muhammad Ali Pate said on Tuesday that laboratory tests confirmed the infection in a woman who recently arrived in Nigeria on an international flight from Uganda.
He said the woman had been admitted to a private hospital in Abuja, where she received treatment for several days before the diagnosis was confirmed. Pate added that the woman is currently in isolation and receiving medical care.
The Minister revealed that public health teams were tracing the identified contacts, including healthcare workers, patients, caregivers and people who may have travelled with the patient.
He added that the Federal Ministry of Health, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and the FCT Health Services Secretariat are working together to contain the infection.
The Minister also said authorities have intensified surveillance and are supporting the hospital to strengthen infection prevention and control measures.
The government urged public and private healthcare facilities nationwide to remain vigilant, promptly isolate suspected cases and report them to public health authorities.
It also advised Nigerians to practise regular handwashing, avoid contact with the bodily fluids of suspected cases and seek guidance from health authorities if symptoms develop.
The government said investigations were continuing and urged people contacted during the tracing exercise to cooperate with health officials.
Nigeria successfully contained an Ebola outbreak in 2014 through case identification, isolation, contact tracing and coordinated public health measures.
Nigeria Confirms Ebola Case In Abuja
