Nigeria has intensified health screening at international airports following the confirmation of its first case of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, as health authorities work to prevent further transmission of the virus.
Passengers arriving at Lagos airport are being subjected to temperature checks and other screening procedures amid growing concerns over the spread of the disease across parts of Africa.
The confirmed patient reportedly returned to Nigeria from Uganda after a stopover in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital.
The development has heightened anxiety among some travellers, particularly as Ebola cases have also been reported in other African countries.
Patrick Akwongu, a Nigerian passenger returning from Italy through Addis Ababa, said he was worried about the possibility of an outbreak in Nigeria.
“Yeah, I’m scared because we have been hearing about the news the way people are dying in the Congo. So we don’t need such a case here in Nigeria because Nigeria is a crowded country,” he said.
However, another traveller, Bezalel Mfashingabo, arriving from Nairobi, Kenya, said he was not particularly concerned but was taking precautions.
“I’m not worried at all but of course I’m taking precautions like being careful whom I am around with,” he said, adding that measures were being taken to isolate infected people and limit their exposure to the public.
Nigerian health authorities said the confirmed patient had been isolated and was in stable condition.
Officials have identified 44 contacts so far and are intensifying efforts to trace other people who may have been exposed to the virus.
The response comes as the Democratic Republic of Congo battles a major Ebola outbreak that began in May. Cases have also been confirmed in Kenya and Nigeria, while Uganda was declared Ebola-free in August after recording 20 cases.
Despite the concerns, experts have expressed confidence in Nigeria’s capacity to contain the disease, citing the country’s response to an Ebola outbreak in 2014.
Nigeria successfully contained that outbreak after the virus was introduced into Lagos by an infected traveller, a response that demonstrated the importance of rapid identification, isolation and contact tracing.
However, questions have emerged over the response to the latest case after reports indicated that the patient was not tested for Ebola until 13 days after developing symptoms.
The delay has raised concerns about the potential for undetected exposure before the diagnosis was confirmed.
The World Health Organization has warned that the spread of Ebola from eastern to western Africa reflects the complexity of the current outbreak across the continent.
With airport screening strengthened and contact-tracing efforts underway, Nigerian authorities face the immediate challenge of identifying potential infections quickly and preventing further transmission.
