Nigeria has confirmed its first Ebola case in 12 years and activated an emergency public health response, after a woman who had recently arrived on an international flight from Uganda tested positive in the Federal Capital Territory, according to a report by Guardian Nigeria. The patient is currently isolated and receiving care at a private hospital in Abuja, while the Federal Ministry of Health, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, and the FCT Health Services Secretariat have launched containment measures.
Health authorities say contact tracing is already under way for 44 people considered close contacts, including healthcare workers, other patients, caregivers and travel contacts who may have been exposed to the virus. The hospital where the patient is being treated is receiving additional support to strengthen its infection prevention and control measures, and surveillance has been intensified more broadly across the health system.
The government has directed public and private healthcare facilities nationwide to stay on high alert, promptly isolate any suspected cases, follow strict infection prevention protocols and report suspected infections immediately to public health authorities. The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has separately stepped up surveillance across its operations, working with the NCDC and port health services to screen arriving passengers and support the wider containment effort.