Ebola in Nigeria: The origin of the first case in a decade is disputed
Swiss officials attribute the infection to travel in Uganda, a claim that contradicts earlier reports from Kampala and complicates containment efforts as the outbreak reaches a fourth country.
By Alina Carter ·
The origin of Nigeria's first Ebola patient in over a decade remains a point of contention between health authorities and diplomatic missions. The Swiss foreign ministry announced on Friday that the infected individual is the Ugandan-born wife of a Swiss diplomat stationed in Abuja. According to Bern, the woman did not visit the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the outbreak began. Instead, the ministry stated she likely contracted the virus while traveling with her husband in Uganda. This account directly conflicts with earlier assertions from Ugandan officials, who previously said the patient had traveled to eastern DR Congo.
The uncertainty has heightened concerns about the outbreak's reach. It has now spread from DR Congo to Uganda, Kenya, and Nigeria, making it the most geographically widespread on record. Uganda reported cases in May and June, but the World Health Organization declared the country Ebola-free in August. A Ugandan government spokesperson told Reuters on Thursday that Uganda currently has no active cases and would publicize any new information immediately. The WHO continues to investigate the source of the Nigerian infection. Catherine Smallwood, a WHO Ebola incident manager in DR Congo, stated via video link from Geneva that WHO staff in DR Congo had no evidence indicating the patient had traveled to that country.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention is examining a potential link to a patient in Kenya. Dr. Wessam Mankoula, the organization's head of emergency preparedness and response, noted that both individuals passed through Uganda's Entebbe airport on 3 October. Smallwood said this connection is possible but requires a comparison between the timing of the airport contact and the onset of the Nigerian patient's symptoms to determine if transmission occurred there or elsewhere.
Experts remain divided on the airport theory. Marion Koopmans, a Dutch virologist and member of the WHO's Ebola emergency committee, described the hypothesis as very speculative without evidence that the two shared space in a manner that could explain transmission. She argued that simply being present at a large airport at the same time does not constitute a supported epidemiological link based on current knowledge.
Nigeria's health minister, Muhammad Ali Pate, said the case remains contained while contact tracing continues. He stated, "We are trying to contain it so it doesn't go out to the communities." The outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, for which there is no approved treatment or vaccine. First announced on 15 May, the epidemic has infected more than 9,500 people and killed nearly half of them. It stands as the largest and deadliest outbreak in DR Congo's history and the second largest globally, behind the 2014 to 2016 west Africa epidemic that infected more than 28,600 people.
Melaku Yirga, vice-president for Africa at Prosper Global, formerly Mercy Corps, emphasized the need for speed and cross-border information sharing. He said confirmed cases in Kenya and Nigeria demonstrate that countries must work closely together. He stressed the importance of providing frontline health workers and local organizations with the resources to respond quickly.
