Nigeria has confirmed its first Ebola case linked to Africa’s latest outbreak after a woman who traveled from Uganda was diagnosed in the capital, Abuja, health officials said Tuesday.
The woman arrived in Nigeria on an international flight from Uganda and was admitted to a private hospital, where she received treatment for several days before testing positive for the virus, Nigerian Health Minister Muhammad Ali Pate said in a statement. She is now in isolation and receiving medical care.
Health authorities have begun contact tracing and have identified 44 close contacts so far. Public health teams are working to locate and monitor people who may have been exposed, including health workers, other patients, caregivers and people who traveled with the woman.
The case adds to concerns about the spread of Ebola across Africa. The current outbreak was declared in the Democratic Republic of Congo in May and has also affected Uganda and other countries in the region.
In the DRC, health authorities have reported 9,552 cases, 2,550 recoveries and 4,602 deaths, according to the latest figures provided. The outbreak has become the deadliest Ebola epidemic in the country’s history.
Kenya’s Health Ministry also reported its ninth case linked to the current outbreak on Tuesday.
Ebola is a severe viral disease that can cause fever, weakness, vomiting, diarrhea and internal or external bleeding. The virus can spread through direct contact with the blood or other bodily fluids of an infected person, or with contaminated materials.
Health officials are tracing the woman’s contacts to identify potential exposures and limit further transmission. The identification and monitoring of people who may have come into contact with an infected person are key steps in containing Ebola outbreaks.