WHO Sounds Ebola Alert As Nigeria Confirms Abuja Case
A woman in isolation in Abuja is at the centre of an urgent public health response after testing positive for Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease, prompting the World Health Organisation (WHO) to urge countries to strengthen surveillance and prepare for possible further cases.
The woman, who recently travelled from Uganda, developed symptoms on 7 October and sought treatment at a private health facility in Abuja four days later.
Laboratory tests confirmed the infection on 20 October, according to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.
Health authorities have identified 44 contacts for monitoring as the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention activates its incident management system to contain the risk of further transmission.
The WHO and its partners are supporting contact tracing, case investigations and infection prevention measures, including the provision of protective equipment for health workers.
Nigeria is the fifth country to detect the virus since an outbreak was declared in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in May.
Kenya has also reported nine cases linked to an imported infection in recent weeks.
The WHO has advised against travel or trade restrictions on affected countries, urging governments to focus on early detection, effective surveillance and rapid response.
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