OSAS EMMANUEL
ABUJA, Nigeria — Nigeria’s first confirmed Ebola patient since 2014 has reportedly developed multi-organ failure, raising concerns about the severity of her condition as federal authorities intensify efforts to contain the outbreak.
The patient, identified as a diplomat whose nationality has not been officially disclosed, is receiving medical care in isolation after laboratory tests confirmed infection with the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus disease on October 20.
An official disclosed the patient’s deteriorating condition during an emergency incident management meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, describing it as “multi-organ failure”.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, had earlier confirmed that the patient was in isolation and receiving treatment, while health authorities intensified contact tracing and other containment measures.
However, the latest information provided did not establish whether her condition had subsequently improved or deteriorated further.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) confirmed the infection and disclosed that the patient had recently travelled from Uganda to Nigeria.
According to the agency, her symptoms began on October 7, four days after her arrival in Nigeria. She sought treatment at a private health facility in Abuja on October 11.
Reports from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) indicated that she was initially treated for malaria-like symptoms, but her condition failed to improve.
Her travel history subsequently raised suspicion among attending doctors, prompting further investigations and laboratory testing.
The Director of Public Health Laboratory Services at the NCDC, Olajumoke Babatunde, confirmed the strain during Wednesday’s emergency incident management meeting.
“We did three levels of tests, but all were molecular. The strain was Bundibugyo,” Babatunde said.
FG Places 46 Contacts on 21-Day No-Fly List
As authorities work to prevent further transmission, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has directed the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to notify local and international airlines to restrict 46 people who had contact with the patient from flying for 21 days.
Keyamo disclosed this in a statement following a virtual meeting on Wednesday with Pate to discuss measures to contain the outbreak.
According to the aviation minister, 44 of the identified contacts were people the patient encountered at the hospital after developing symptoms, while the remaining two were her domestic staff.
“He shared with me a list of 44 persons with whom the affected person came in contact at the hospital when she had developed the symptoms and an additional two persons who are her domestic staff,” Keyamo said.
He explained that arrangements were being made to isolate the contacts while health authorities determine whether any had contracted the virus.
“Whilst efforts are ongoing to isolate them for now until there is certainty they had not been infected with the virus, the aviation authorities are required to put them on a no-fly list for at least 21 days,” he stated.
Keyamo added that the NCAA had been directed to immediately notify all local and international airlines of the restriction.
He also ordered the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to intensify Ebola surveillance and response measures at all international airports.
The measures include enhanced health screening, temperature checks, travel history tracking, digital health declarations and closer coordination with the NCDC.
No Approved Vaccine for the Strain
The WHO said the Bundibugyo strain responsible for the infection currently has no approved vaccine or specific treatment.
The agency is supporting Nigerian health authorities with case investigations, contact tracing, infection prevention and control, and the provision of essential supplies, including personal protective equipment for health workers.
Investigations are also ongoing to establish the likely source of the infection and reconstruct the patient’s travel and exposure history.
The WHO has urged countries in the region to strengthen disease surveillance, laboratory testing, rapid-response capacity and monitoring at points of entry.
Ebola is transmitted through direct contact with the blood or other bodily fluids of an infected person who has developed symptoms, or through contact with contaminated materials.
Its incubation period ranges from two to 21 days, making the identification and monitoring of exposed persons critical to containing transmission.
Nigeria’s Experience with Ebola
Nigeria last recorded an Ebola outbreak in 2014, when the virus was introduced by an infected traveller. The country contained the outbreak through coordinated public health interventions, including isolation, contact tracing and the monitoring of exposed individuals.
The latest case has renewed concerns about cross-border transmission amid the ongoing outbreak in parts of Africa.
The immediate priorities for Nigerian authorities include providing care for the infected patient, monitoring identified contacts, strengthening infection prevention measures at the hospital where she received treatment and maintaining heightened surveillance at airports and other points of entry.
