ABUJA, NIGERIA — Fresh details have emerged about the Ebola virus strain detected in Nigeria. Health officials have confirmed that the Bundibugyo strain has no approved vaccine or specific treatment.
An aviation official also disclosed that the infected woman arrived in Nigeria on October 3. She travelled aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Uganda.
The Discovery of the Strain
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that laboratory tests identified the Bundibugyo strain. This strain has previously caused outbreaks in parts of Africa.
Olajumoke Babatunde is the Director of Public Health Laboratory Services at the NCDC. She disclosed the result during an emergency meeting in Abuja on Wednesday.
“We did three levels of tests, but all molecular. The strain was Bundibugyo,” Babatunde said.
The World Health Organisation also confirmed the strain. It stated that there was no vaccine or specific treatment available for it.
Patient’s Condition
Another official at the meeting disclosed that the patient’s condition had deteriorated significantly. The official said multiple organs were affected.
“This person is actually a diplomat,” the official said.
The official further revealed that the patient had developed “multi-organ failure.” However, the authorities did not disclose her nationality or provide further details about the organs affected.
Travel History
An aviation official spoke to Vanguard on the condition of anonymity. The official said the patient arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on October 3.
She travelled aboard Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET333.
Contact Tracing
Following confirmation of the infection, health authorities commenced a coordinated response. The Federal Ministry of Health, the NCDC, and the FCT Health Services Secretariat are working together.
Health authorities have identified 44 close contacts. These include healthcare workers, fellow patients, caregivers, and individuals connected to the woman’s travel history.
The contacts are being monitored as part of efforts to identify possible secondary infections.
Uganda’s Response
The Ugandan government has requested detailed travel and clinical records from Nigeria. The request is to establish the circumstances surrounding the infection.
Uganda’s Ministry of Health said the woman’s transit through the country did not establish that she contracted the virus there. In a statement, the Director-General of Health Services, Professor Charles Olaro, said preliminary information indicated that the woman had travelled to the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo for business.
She reportedly showed no symptoms while in Uganda. She developed symptoms after arriving in Nigeria.
Federal Government’s Assurance
The Minister of Health, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, said Nigeria was collaborating with Uganda. He said the government was working to contain the risk and prevent the disease from spreading.
“All I can tell you is that we are collaborating with our sister African nation of Uganda. What is important is that we have found this one case. We are doing contact tracing, and we are putting containment measures to ensure that it doesn’t go into our population,” Pate said.
What This Means
The absence of a vaccine for the Bundibugyo strain is a significant concern. It makes containment efforts more challenging.
The government’s response has been swift. But the coming days are critical. The success of the containment effort will depend on effective contact tracing and public cooperation.
