The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) is seeking a detailed account of the movements and possible contacts of Nigeria’s index Ebola patient to establish how she contracted the virus and determine potential cross-border exposure.
The agency’s Director-General, Dr Jean Kaseya, said investigators were working with health authorities in Nigeria, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to reconstruct the travel history of the woman, who was born in Uganda and resides in Abuja.
Speaking on Channels Television on Thursday, Kaseya said investigators needed to determine whether the patient had travelled to the DRC, visited areas outside Uganda’s capital, Kampala, or interacted with anyone arriving from the outbreak-hit country.
“I need this information as Nigeria needs this information because we need also to support Uganda,” he said, stressing that a clearer account of her movements would help establish the possible source of infection.
Kaseya warned that identifying the origin of the infection was important not only for public health investigations but also to prevent misunderstandings between countries over the outbreak.
The Nigerian government confirmed the imported Ebola case in the Federal Capital Territory on October 20 after laboratory tests detected the Bundibugyo strain of the virus.
According to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the patient developed symptoms on October 7, four days after returning to Nigeria with her husband on October 3. She reportedly sought treatment at a private health facility in Abuja on October 11.
However, Kaseya gave October 6 as the date of symptom onset, leaving investigators to establish a consistent timeline as they examine the circumstances surrounding the infection.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said 44 contacts had been identified and were under monitoring, while infection prevention and control measures were being strengthened at the private facility where the patient received treatment.
Nigeria has intensified surveillance at entry points and contact-tracing efforts to prevent further transmission. The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) was also directed to place 46 identified contacts, including the 44 reported by health authorities and two members of the patient’s domestic staff, on a no-fly list for at least 21 days.
Kaseya said the Africa CDC was coordinating the regional response and urged countries to share information promptly to support containment efforts.
He dismissed concerns that African countries were unprepared to respond to the outbreak, saying authorities understood the measures required to manage public health emergencies.
“We are not in panic mode,” he said.
On vaccine availability, the Africa CDC chief said there was no licensed vaccine specifically for the Bundibugyo strain, although candidate vaccines were undergoing clinical development, including one developed in Egypt.
He called for increased investment in vaccine manufacturing, medicines and diagnostic capacity across Africa to reduce the continent’s dependence on external support during health emergencies.
The investigation comes amid an ongoing Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in the DRC and reported cases in other African countries, raising concerns about the risk of cross-border transmission.
Health authorities are continuing efforts to establish how Nigeria’s index patient contracted the virus, trace possible exposures and prevent further infections.
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