Nigeria’s first confirmed Ebola patient in more than a decade has been identified as the wife of a Swiss diplomat based in Abuja, as health authorities continue investigations to determine how she contracted the virus.
The Ugandan-born woman tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola on October 20, following a recent trip to Uganda, according to Switzerland’s Foreign Ministry.
The ministry said the woman was believed to have contracted the infection during her travels but stressed that investigations into the source of the virus were continuing.
“She is believed to have contracted the virus whilst travelling to Uganda around two weeks ago,” the ministry said.
Her husband, who travelled with her, has been placed in isolation as a precautionary measure but has not developed symptoms, according to the Swiss authorities.
The woman is currently receiving treatment in Abuja, with reports indicating improvements in some of her medical indicators.
Questions have emerged over her travel history, particularly allegations that she visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where the current Ebola outbreak began.
Ugandan officials had earlier claimed that the woman travelled to eastern DRC before proceeding to Uganda. However, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) said they had not received verified information confirming that she visited the country.
Wessam Mankoula of the Africa CDC said there was no validated information confirming the reported trip to the DRC.
In a subsequent clarification on Friday, Switzerland’s Foreign Ministry told Reuters that the woman and her husband did not travel to the DRC, further complicating efforts to establish the source of her infection.
WHO representative in Nigeria, Pavel Ursu, said the woman returned to Abuja on October 3 after being away since September 16.
The patient reportedly developed symptoms several days after her return to Nigeria and sought medical attention at a private health facility in Abuja before laboratory tests confirmed the infection.
Health authorities are also investigating whether she could have had any contact with Kenya’s first confirmed Ebola patient, who reportedly travelled through Uganda’s Entebbe International Airport on the same day as the Nigerian patient.
The Africa CDC said a possible connection between the two cases was among the scenarios being examined, although no link has been established.
According to the WHO, 44 close contacts of Nigeria’s confirmed case had been identified and placed under monitoring as of October 22. Authorities have intensified contact tracing and infection prevention measures to reduce the risk of further transmission.
Ebola spreads through direct contact with the blood and other bodily fluids of an infected person, as well as contaminated objects. Symptoms may include fever, vomiting and diarrhoea.
The Bundibugyo strain is a rare form of Ebola virus disease, and investigations are ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding the Nigerian case.
The WHO and Nigerian health authorities have continued surveillance and response efforts while working to identify the source of infection and prevent further spread.
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