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Swiss Ebola Patient in Nigeria Evacuated to Switzerland
Health officials are monitoring 53 contacts and expanding surveillance after confirming Nigeria’s first imported Ebola case in more than a decade.
On Monday, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare Muhammad Ali Pate confirmed Nigeria's first imported Ebola case was evacuated to Switzerland via air ambulance from Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
The patient, a Ugandan-born wife of a Swiss diplomat, arrived in Abuja on October 3 and became symptomatic four days later before testing positive for the Bundibugyo virus.
Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention Director-General Jide Idris reported 53 primary contacts, including 44 hospital personnel, are being monitored for 21 days to prevent transmission.
The federal government is considering N100,000 weekly payments to assist those in quarantine, while Idris urged Nigerians to "cooperate fully" with public health officials during contact tracing.
Meanwhile, the West African College of Physicians summit in Abuja began Monday, convening over 1,300 experts to address regional healthcare challenges including infectious disease control and infrastructure deficits.