Nigeria confirms first Ebola case as outbreak spreads to fourth African country

Nigeria has confirmed its first case of Ebola, making it the fourth African country to record an infection from the Bundibugyo strain of the virus since the current outbreak began in the Democratic Republic of Congo in mid-May.

The patient is a woman who recently arrived in Nigeria by air from Uganda and was treated for several days at a private hospital in the Abuja area. Laboratory results confirmed infection with the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola. She is now in isolation and receiving medical care, the Nigerian health ministry said.

Contact tracing has begun. Authorities have so far identified 44 contacts, including medical personnel, other patients, nursing staff and travel contacts. The government has called on all public and private health facilities in the country of approximately 220 million people to maintain the highest vigilance.

The outbreak originated in the DRC, where health authorities have recorded 9,552 cases and 4,602 deaths. Kenya currently has eight confirmed cases including one fatality. Uganda recorded 20 confirmed cases linked to a patient from the DRC and two deaths, but declared its outbreak over at the end of August after 42 days without a new case.

Nigeria's case arrived by air from Uganda, underlining the cross-border transmission risk posed by the ongoing Bundibugyo outbreak.