The Director of Public Health Laboratory Service at the NCDC, Olajumoke Babatunde, disclosed this during an emergency meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, identifying the patient as a diplomat.
According to Babatunde, laboratory tests confirmed that the patient was infected with the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, the same strain responsible for the ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
She said three levels of molecular tests were conducted to establish the strain, which was also confirmed by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
“The patient’s condition has deteriorated. We did three levels of tests, but all were molecular. The strain was Bundibugyo,” Babatunde said.
The Bundibugyo strain currently has no approved vaccine or specific treatment.
Reports indicate that the patient is a woman who travelled from Uganda to Abuja on October 3, 2026. She was admitted to a private hospital in the FCT after initially receiving treatment for malaria-like symptoms before Ebola was suspected.
The Incident Manager of the National Ebola Response, Dr Odianosen Ehiakhamen, said the patient developed symptoms on October 7 and presented at the hospital on October 11.
The NCDC said 44 close contacts have been identified and are being monitored. They include healthcare workers, patients, caregivers and people who may have had contact with the patient during travel.
The agency added that the patient remains in isolation and is receiving medical care, while surveillance and response measures have been intensified.
Post a Comment