The Abuja case has prompted Nigeria to monitor 44 close contacts, while investigators work to establish where the patient was infected during the broader Bundibugyo outbreak.
The patient traveled to Nigeria by air from Uganda, developed symptoms Oct. 7 and sought care at a private Abuja facility Oct. 11. The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare said laboratory tests confirmed the infection Oct. 20. The World Health Organization (WHO) said the likely source of exposure has not been determined and the woman is receiving care in isolation.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention activated its incident management system. Officials reinforced infection controls at the private facility and are looking for other people who may have been exposed. The health ministry urged facilities nationwide to identify suspected cases, isolate patients and alert authorities promptly.
WHO says the wider outbreak was declared in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on May 15 and has now been detected in five countries. Kenya had reported nine cases in one cluster by Oct. 20, according to WHO and Kenya’s Ministry of Health. The Kenyan ministry said 134 of 135 identified contacts there had been traced and quarantined.
WHO advises against travel or trade restrictions on affected countries. Nigerian authorities are continuing contact tracing and infection-control work while searching for additional people who may have been exposed.
