Nigeria confirms first case of Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease, WHO says

The World Health Organization (WHO), a United Nations agency, is assisting Nigeria after the country confirmed its first case of Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease. UN News reported the response based on WHO's account. The UN is not a neutral observer here: the agency giving the account is also the agency giving the help.

The patient is a woman who recently travelled from Uganda. She began showing symptoms on 7 October, four days after she arrived in Nigeria. She sought care at a private health facility in Abuja, the capital, on 11 October. Laboratory testing confirmed the diagnosis on 20 October. She remains in isolation and is receiving medical care.

WHO said Nigerian health authorities have so far identified 44 contacts, who are being monitored. Efforts to find other people who may have been exposed have been intensified. Investigations continue to determine the likely source of her infection and to reconstruct her full travel and exposure history. Infection prevention and control measures are being ramped up at the private facility where she sought care.

WHO said the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has activated its incident management system to coordinate the response. WHO and partners are working with the Nigerian health authorities on case investigation, contact tracing, and infection prevention and control. The agency is also helping to provide essential supplies, including personal protective equipment for health workers.

UN News said Nigeria is the fifth country to detect Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease since an outbreak was declared in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in mid-May. UN News described it as the deadliest outbreak in the country's history. The Congolese health authorities recorded more than 9,500 cases and more than 4,200 deaths as of 18 October. UN News said there is currently no vaccine to treat the virus.

UN News also reported that Uganda faced a deadly outbreak, which was officially declared over in late August. It said nine cases have been reported in Kenya and one in the Netherlands, all linked to the DRC outbreak.

WHO stressed that rapid identification of cases, timely follow-up of contacts and effective infection prevention and control are critical to containing the spread of the virus. It advised all countries in the region to sustain a high level of readiness as the DRC outbreak continues to evolve. It also advised governments to maintain strong disease surveillance and to ensure that laboratories can safely test suspected cases. WHO has not recommended any restrictions on travel and trade with affected countries.

The sources leave several things out. They do not give the woman's age or her condition. They do not say where in Uganda she travelled from or how many people were at the private facility while she was there. They do not say whether any of the 44 contacts has shown symptoms. The likely source of her infection is still unknown. The Chinese-language UN News summary carries the same core facts, including the 44 contacts, but no further detail.