Ebola Patient in Nigeria Shows Signs of Recovery, FG Says
Nigeria’s confirmed Ebola patient is showing signs of recovery, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has said, as health authorities continue contact tracing and monitoring to prevent further transmission.
The ministry disclosed this in an update published on Friday, October 23, adding that there was currently no evidence of community spread.
It said contact tracing, quarantine and monitoring were continuing alongside efforts to strengthen coordination, prepare health facilities and sustain public health measures.
Nigeria confirmed its first case in the current outbreak on October 20 after laboratory tests detected the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus in a woman receiving treatment at a private hospital in the Federal Capital Territory.
According to the World Health Organization, the patient developed symptoms on October 7, four days after arriving in Nigeria, and sought medical care in Abuja on October 11. The diagnosis was confirmed nine days after the reported onset of symptoms.
The WHO said 44 contacts had been identified and were being monitored as part of efforts to prevent further transmission.
The recovery update comes after earlier reports that the patient had developed multi-organ failure following the infection.
The source of the infection remains under investigation. Reports concerning the patient’s travel history have differed, and authorities are working to establish where she may have been exposed to the virus.
The Federal Government has urged Nigerians to follow public health guidance, obtain information from recognised health authorities and avoid circulating unverified claims about the outbreak.
The patient remains under medical care, while public health authorities continue efforts to monitor contacts and contain the infection.
