Nigeria has confirmed an imported case of Ebola disease involving a woman, prompting heightened public health surveillance and measures to prevent further transmission.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Pate, alongside WHO and Africa CDC officials, briefed journalists in Abuja on the case and the country’s response.
Professor Pate assured Nigerians that the country has sufficient expertise to contain the case, with surveillance, contact tracing and border health measures being strengthened.
Ebola spreads through direct contact with the blood or other bodily fluids of an infected person showing symptoms, or contaminated materials.
Pate confirmed the case of Ebola disease in the Federal Capital Territory and activated emergency measures to contain the infection.
According to the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, the patient is a woman who recently arrived in Nigeria from Uganda and was admitted to a private hospital in Abuja.
Pate said laboratory investigations later confirmed the Ebola infection, while the patient is currently in isolation receiving treatment.
He also revealed that the authorities have identified and commenced monitoring of 44 close contacts as part of efforts to prevent further transmission of the disease.
Professor Pate noted that the Federal Ministry of Health, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, and the FCT Health Services Secretariat have intensified surveillance and strengthened response measures.
The minister urged Nigerians to remain calm, maintain proper hygiene, avoid contact with suspected cases, and promptly report symptoms such as fever, severe weakness, headache, vomiting and diarrhoea to the nearest health facility.
Early detection and prompt response remain critical to preventing further spread.
