Nigeria Records First Ebola Case as Disease Continues to Spread Across Africa
Nigeria announces its first Ebola case imported from Uganda, while the Ugandan Ministry of Health denies the existence of active infections.
Translated by Qiyas from الراي — Original source
Nigeria announced on Tuesday the registration of its first Ebola virus case, as the outbreak continues to spread across the African continent, prompting a regional health official to warn of a “grave threat.”
Since the virus was first reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in May, the deadly hemorrhagic fever has spread throughout the continent, including in neighboring Uganda.
In just a few months, the Ebola outbreak has become the deadliest in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, claiming 4,381 lives out of more than 9,000 confirmed cases, according to health authorities.
Nigerian Health Minister Muhammad Ali Pate said in a statement that the infected patient was on a flight arriving from Uganda and was admitted to a private hospital, “where she received care for several days before the diagnosis was confirmed.”
For its part, Uganda’s Ministry of Health stated late Tuesday that “there are no active or confirmed Ebola virus cases in the country,” adding that “travel through Uganda does not necessarily mean infection there.”
Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director-General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, warned that the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak has become the most geographically widespread in history, affecting multiple countries across three regions of Africa.
