Nigeria has confirmed an Ebola infection in a woman receiving treatment at a private hospital in the capital, Abuja, prompting authorities to begin contact tracing.
Health Minister Muhammad Ali Pate said laboratory tests confirmed the case and that 44 contacts had been identified. The patient is isolated and receiving medical care.
Uganda’s Health Ministry said the woman had traveled to eastern Democratic Republic of Congo for business before passing through Uganda in early October. She reportedly developed symptoms after reaching Nigeria. Officials stressed that her transit through Uganda does not mean she contracted the virus there.
Nigeria says it has the public health experience to manage the case, having successfully contained an Ebola outbreak in 2014.
The case comes amid a wider outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo strain in Congo, which has spread across several regions of Africa. Uganda reported cases earlier this year but was declared Ebola-free by the World Health Organization in August.
Kenya has also reported nine cases this month, all linked to a person who traveled from Congo.
Africa's top public health agency is mobilizing support for Nigeria as authorities work to contain the spread of the virus.
