Two suspected Ebola cases isolated in north-east Nigeria
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Business Day Nigeria
Nigerian health authorities have isolated two people suspected of having Ebola in the north-east while laboratory tests are carried out. Nigeria has not confirmed any new cases and continues to monitor contacts, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC).
Nigeria’s Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has isolated two people suspected of having Ebola in the country’s north-east while laboratory tests are carried out, according to an update published by the agency on X on Saturday. The NCDC has also begun identifying and registering their contacts.
Being classified as a suspected case does not mean that the two people have the virus: confirmation depends on test results, the NCDC said. The agency recommends that residents wash their hands thoroughly, strengthen hygiene measures and follow health authorities’ instructions.
Nigeria has also recorded an imported Ebola case involving a woman born in Uganda, the wife of a Swiss diplomat, who travelled to Nigeria after staying in Uganda. She tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain and was then evacuated to Switzerland with her husband for treatment and monitoring.
The federal government is aiming to declare the country free of Ebola in December. The World Health Organization requires 42 days without a new confirmed or probable case before a country can be declared free of the disease.
The two suspected cases were reported on 25 October, with 53 contacts registered in the first Nigerian report. On 27 October, Nigeria was still reporting no new confirmed cases and was monitoring 54 contacts, according to the authorities’ report.
