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Ebola outbreak confirmed in Abuja, as FG traces 44 contacts
One case of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) has been confirmed at Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, as the Federal Government traces 44 identified contacts, after a laboratory confirmation of the case.
This was disclosed in a statement on Tuesday by Nigeria’s health and social welfare minister, Muhammad Ali Pate.
“A woman who recently arrived in Nigeria on an international flight from Uganda, was admitted to a private hospital in the FCT, where she received treatment for several days before the diagnosis was confirmed,” the statement said.
Various health services, including the Nigeria Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (NCDC), are working with other relevant authorities to contain the infection, while also monitoring others who might have been exposed, including healthcare workers, patients, caregivers and travel contacts.
The Federal Government has also directed health workers to maintain a high index of suspicion and report suspected cases to public health authorities, while urging members of the public to strictly observe preventive health measures.
Pate said symptoms to watch out for include fever, severe weakness, headache, vomiting and diarrhoea.
“Anyone who develops symptoms should avoid close contact with others and call public health authorities for guidance before visiting a healthcare facility,” he said.
Nigeria had earlier experienced the outbreak in 2014 under the administration of president Goodluck Jonathan, which launched a rapid response and coordinated public health interventions to contain the disease.
To obtain information or report a suspected case, members of the public may contact the NCDC’s toll-free call centre on 6232.
The current development comes amid the Ebola Virus Disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where more than 4,000 deaths have so far been reported, with health officials reporting over 8,000 confirmed cases. There have also been confirmed cases in Kenya and France.
The 17th DRC Ebola outbreak which was declared on May 15, has become the largest in the country’s history, spreading faster than any on record, as the outbreak is said to have already begun spreading for several weeks before it was officially declared.
