Nigeria has reported its first Ebola case in Abuja, the country’s capital, after a traveler from Uganda came back positive for the virus.
This case in the West African nation is happening while there’s an outbreak going on in the Democratic Republic of Congo and some cases showing up in Kenya, which is making people worried about the virus spreading all over Africa.
According to Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the woman started feeling sick on October 7 and checked into a private hospital in Abuja on October 11, where doctors found out she had Ebola.
Health Minister Muhammad Pate said the government started working to find 44 people who had contact with the patient.
“We’re doing everything we can to stop this case from spreading by finding everyone the person may have been around,” he said.
New case in Kenya
Earlier on Tuesday, Kenya announced its ninth Ebola case.
A 24-year-old guy, who was already being kept separate from others, tested positive, Kenya’s Ministry of Health said in a statement on Tuesday.
“He was kept away from others as soon as he got sick, tested and started getting help right away after his positive result came back,” it said, also mentioning he “was already separated when he became ill”.
The man was a close family member of Kenya’s first Ebola patient, who had come from the DRC, gone through Uganda and then arrived in Kenya before dying at a Nairobi hospital on October 5.
“All nine cases are part of the same group, and right now there’s no sign of the virus spreading to anyone outside this group,” Director-General for Health Patrick Amoth said in a statement on Tuesday.
“Eight patients are doing okay and getting better with treatment, while 134 out of 135 people they were around have been found and kept separate,” Amoth said.
Amoth said things were looking good for most of the people being kept separate since they stayed healthy for the 21-day check period and could go back home starting October 25.
It asked communities to accept them back, saying they “don’t pose any danger of spreading the virus”.
The ministry reported that no infections had been found in quarantine facilities and said they were always checking infection-prevention steps to keep health workers safe.
Even though there were nine infections, Kenya hasn’t put any limits on travel, business, or public events, with officials saying the country is still open for business.
In the DRC, there have been over 9,000 Ebola cases and 4,000 deaths since May.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control says this is the second-biggest epidemic ever recorded.
It’s been hard to stop because there is no approved vaccine or specific cure for the Bundibugyo type of the virus.
Uganda had seen Ebola cases before but was later said to be free of the virus.
Source: Reuters