Nigeria has confirmed that its first detected Ebola case is caused by the Bundibugyo strain, the same variant responsible for a major outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), raising concerns over the spread of the deadly virus across Africa.
The confirmation was made during an emergency meeting on Wednesday, where officials disclosed that the infected person is a diplomat whose condition has deteriorated into multi-organ failure.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) said the case involved a woman who travelled from Uganda to Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, on October 3.
Olajumoke Babatunde, director of the NCDC’s Public Health Laboratory Services, said three levels of molecular testing were conducted to identify the virus.
“We did three levels of tests, but all molecular. The strain was Bundibugyo,” Babatunde said.
The World Health Organization (WHO) also confirmed the strain, which currently has no approved vaccine or specific treatment.
The development comes amid a wider Ebola outbreak in Central and East Africa, with the Democratic Republic of Congo recording thousands of cases and neighbouring Uganda also affected.
Jean Kaseya, director-general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), warned on Tuesday that the situation posed “an extremely serious threat” as Kenya reported its ninth Ebola case.
Health authorities in the DRC have reported more than 9,000 confirmed cases and 4,381 deaths since the outbreak began, making it the deadliest Ebola epidemic in the country’s history, according to the figures cited by health officials.
In Nigeria, authorities have identified 44 contacts linked to the confirmed case and are monitoring them for possible symptoms. Efforts are also underway to trace additional individuals who may have been exposed to the virus.
The WHO said infection prevention and control measures were being intensified at the private hospital where the patient sought medical attention.
Health officials are expected to continue surveillance, contact tracing and other emergency response measures to limit the risk of further transmission.
The confirmation has heightened concerns about the potential spread of the Bundibugyo strain, particularly given the movement of people across African countries and the absence of a specific vaccine or treatment for the variant.
