Nigeria's Ebola case extends record outbreak across Africa

(Bloomberg) — Nigeria’s first Ebola case in more than a decade is expanding an outbreak that has already spread to several African countries, prompting the continent’s top health agency to ask for urgent international help.

The Nigerian case was caused by the Bundibugyo tribe, Jean Kaseya, director general of the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said in a statement on Tuesday. The agency is mobilizing support for Nigeria while stepping up its response in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Kenya, he said.

“This Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak has already become the most geographically widespread Ebola outbreak in history, affecting several countries in three regions of Africa,” Kaseya said.

Nigeria had earlier confirmed that a woman who had recently flown into the country from Uganda had tested positive for the virus. According to the Minister of Health, Muhammad Ali Pate, she started showing symptoms on October 7 and was admitted to a private hospital in Abuja on October 11. He is now in isolation and receiving medical attention.

Authorities have so far identified 44 of her contacts and are tracking and tracing those who may have been exposed, including healthcare workers, patients, caregivers and travel contacts.

“We are doing everything we can to contain this case by following up on any contacts the individual may have had,” Pate said.

Nigeria, the continent’s most populous country, is West Africa’s main tourist destination.

Bundibugyo has no approved vaccines or therapies. Moderna Inc. began testing an experimental vaccine designed against the virus. The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, a nonprofit organization focused on developing new vaccines against pandemic threats, is helping fund the effort.

The current outbreak began more than five months ago in Congo, where there have been 9,552 confirmed infections and 4,602 deaths, according to the National Institute of Health. Crude death rate is 48%.

Uganda saw cases earlier in the outbreak and remains on high alert, while Kenya reported infections linked to a traveler from Congo who passed through Uganda before arriving in Nairobi. In Europe, patients with outbreak-related infections were also detected or treated.

The Africa CDC called for immediate international funding, medical supplies, diagnostics, trained responders and stronger community surveillance to prevent further spread.

“We cannot allow this epidemic to spread to more countries or continue for another year,” Kaseya said. “Every day the delay costs lives.

The last Ebola outbreak reported in Nigeria was in 2014, when an infected traveler arrived in Lagos from Liberia during the Ebola epidemic in West Africa.

–With help from Jessica Nix.

(Update with Africa CDC comment from first paragraph)

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