Africa CDC chief says woman diagnosed with Ebola Bundibugyo returned to Abuja on 3 October after visiting Uganda
The head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Jean Kaseya, has said the woman diagnosed with Ebola virus disease in Nigeria was born in Uganda, raising questions about her recent travel history.
Kaseya, speaking on Channels Television’s Morning Brief, said the woman had travelled to Uganda, where she spent several days before her husband joined her.
He said the couple returned to Abuja on 3 October, ahead of the Federal Government’s confirmation of Nigeria’s first case of Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease on 20 October.
Kaseya stressed the importance of establishing the woman’s full travel history to support efforts to contain the outbreak.
The Federal Government announced the confirmed case after laboratory tests detected the virus in a woman who had recently arrived in Nigeria.
The development has heightened public health concerns, with health authorities expected to establish the patient’s movements and identify anyone who may have been exposed to the virus.
Ebola is a severe disease that can cause serious illness and death. The Bundibugyo virus is one of the species of orthoebolavirus known to cause Ebola disease in humans.
Public health authorities typically respond to confirmed cases by tracing contacts, monitoring potentially exposed individuals and strengthening infection prevention measures.
Further details about the patient’s movements, possible contacts and the government’s containment response are important to understanding the extent of the risk to the public.
Authorities have urged the need for accurate information and coordinated surveillance as efforts continue to limit the spread of the disease.
