Abuja: Africa's top public health agency said on Thursday that it had no confirmed information that Nigeria's Ebola patient had travelled to Congo, after Ugandan authorities said the woman had visited the neighbouring country before being diagnosed.
Nigeria's first Ebola case in more than a decade involves a Ugandan woman who recently returned from Uganda. The country's health authorities said the patient, the Ugandan-born wife of a Swiss diplomat, arrived in Abuja on October 3 after a two-week holiday in Uganda.
Uganda's health ministry said the woman had also travelled to Congo, where an Ebola outbreak was first declared in May and has since become the fastest-spreading on record. However, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) epidemiologist Wessam Mankoula said there was no validated information confirming her travel to Congo
"The information supplied to WHO did not include travel to another country (other than Uganda)," World Health Organization (WHO) representative to Nigeria Pavel Ursu said at an online press conference. He said the patient remained hospitalised, with her condition improving.
WHO emergency response manager Patrick Otim said the source of the infection remained unknown. Health authorities are investigating the woman's movements, including which health facilities she visited in Abuja after developing symptoms and before her hospitalisation on October 9.
The patient was reportedly not tested for Ebola until 13 days after falling ill, raising concerns about possible delays in identifying and containing the infection. Africa CDC is also examining whether a Kenyan case may be linked to the Nigerian patient, as both travelled from Entebbe airport on the same day. Mankoula said possible transmission between them was among the scenarios being investigated.
Meanwhile, residents of Abuja expressed concern over the potential spread of the disease. Some have begun taking precautions, while others appear less worried.
At a bus stop, corps member Shaphira Anger wore a protective face mask despite being mocked by some passers-by.
"I'm trying to be as careful as possible," Anger said, adding that she hoped authorities would introduce vaccines or other preventive measures.
Realtor Kingsley Ozonochie said he feared the outbreak could lead to restrictions similar to those imposed during previous health emergencies. "I'm afraid that this case might make the government to call for a lockdown, which will drastically affect our business," he said.
Nigerian authorities have identified 44 contacts so far and say the country is prepared to respond, citing its handling of an Ebola case during the 2014-2016 West African outbreak.
Ebola spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected people, whether living or dead. Symptoms can include fever, vomiting and diarrhoea, with severe cases sometimes involving internal and external bleeding. The Ebola species responsible for the current outbreak has a high fatality rate, and no approved treatment or vaccine is available for it.
According to Africa CDC, the outbreak has killed about 4,700 people across the four African countries that have reported cases.
(With agency inputs from Reuters)