Ebola Inquiry: Nigeria Quarantines 44 After Suspected Airport Exposure
Health officials are investigating if the first Nigerian and Kenyan Ebola cases crossed paths at Entebbe International Airport in Uganda.
By Rahul Mehta ·
Nigerian health authorities have isolated 44 individuals in Abuja after confirming the country's first Ebola case in over a decade. The patient is a Ugandan-born woman married to a diplomat stationed in the capital. She returned to Nigeria earlier this month following a September vacation in Uganda.
The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention disclosed the inquiry during a press briefing on Thursday. Dr. Wessam Mankoula, the director of emergency preparedness and response at the agency, stated that the woman is currently receiving treatment. He noted that investigators are determining the original source of her exposure.
The probe centers on a potential link between the Nigerian patient and the first confirmed case in Kenya. Both individuals were present at Entebbe International Airport on the same day. Mankoula said the agency is checking for "some sort of interaction between the two cases at the airport." The first Kenyan patient, who traveled from the Democratic Republic of Congo via Uganda, has died.
Kenya has since confirmed eight additional cases. The outbreak began in eastern Congo in May and has become the fastest spreading on record. At least 4,600 people have died in Congo, with roughly 9,700 infections reported. Uganda initially logged about 20 cases but was declared free of the virus in August.
Nigeria's geographic position makes this case distinct. As the most populous country in Africa, it is the fourth nation on the continent to record an Ebola case in the current outbreak. It is the first in West Africa and lies farthest from the epicenter in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Ebola transmits through direct contact with infected bodily fluids or contaminated items. The virus causes severe fever and can be fatal. Health officials note that individuals are generally not considered infectious until symptoms appear.
The 44 people in quarantine were identified as close contacts of the Nigerian patient. Authorities are monitoring their health status while the investigation into the airport timeline continues.
Source: NPR
