Health officials dey investigate whether Ebola patients from Nigeria and Kenya fit don cross path for Uganda main airport, Entebbe, earlier this month. Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) tok on Thursday say both patients pass through Entebbe airport on 3 October, and dem dey check whether shared equipment or other contact fit expose dem.
Dr Wessam Mankoula, Africa CDC head of emergency preparedness and response, call am “one of the possible scenarios”, but e make clear say no link don establish. Im tok say one issue dem dey investigate na whether any kind interaction happen between the two cases at the airport. Investigators also dey look whether the two infections fit get common source.
For Nigeria, na first Ebola case in more than a decade. The patient na 42-year-old Ugandan-born woman wey live for Abuja. World Health Organization (WHO) tok say she dey isolation and dey show signs of improvement. Switzerland foreign ministry confirm to Reuters say she marry one Swiss diplomat based for Nigeria. Her husband, wey accompany her go Uganda, also dey isolation but e never develop symptoms.
The woman return Nigeria on 3 October after about two and a half weeks for Uganda. She pass through Ethiopia capital, Addis Ababa, where she get two-hour stopover. According to Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, her symptoms start 7 October, four days after she arrive Nigeria. She seek care for private health facility for Abuja on 11 October, and laboratory test confirm Bundibugyo virus on 20 October. Before the positive result, she bin seek treatment for two private health facilities.
Kenya side, one Kenyan man travel from Democratic Republic of Congo through Uganda before arriving Nairobi on 3 October. He later die, becoming Kenya first recorded Ebola death for the current outbreak. Kenya don confirm nine infections, including that one death.
Although both patients pass through Entebbe airport same day, officials never establish whether dem meet, use same facilities or get any other contact. WHO emergency response official Dr Patrick Otim tok say e too early to know where Nigerian woman contract the virus. “The source of exposure is still not known. The travel history of the patient is still being pieced together,” e tok. E add say investigators struggle to get complete account of her movements because opportunities to interview her limited while she still dey hospital.
Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) tok say dem dey carry out genomic sequencing, wey fit help investigators understand whether the infection relate to other cases. The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare say 44 contacts don identify and dem dey monitor dem, while infection prevention and control measures dey ramp up for the private health facility where the patient seek care. NCDC also activate incident management system to coordinate response.
WHO and partners tok say dem dey work with health authorities to strengthen case investigation, contact tracing, infection prevention and control, and supply of essential items including personal protective equipment for health workers. WHO urge countries for the region to keep high level of readiness as outbreak for Democratic Republic of Congo continue to change. The agency advise against any restriction of travel to, or trade with, affected countries.
Nigeria goment also tok say no restriction on large gatherings for now.
