Ebola patient flown to Switzerland as Nigeria tracks contacts
Nigeria’s Ebola index patient has arrived in Switzerland for treatment, while health authorities continue monitoring 52 identified contacts and investigating alerts to prevent further transmission.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Ali Pate, disclosed this in an update on his official X account on Monday, saying the patient was receiving treatment at Geneva University Hospitals, while her husband had been placed in isolation at University Hospital Zurich.
*Ebola
Abimbola Joseph
Nigeria’s Ebola index patient has arrived in Switzerland for treatment, while health authorities continue monitoring 52 identified contacts and investigating alerts to prevent further transmission.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Ali Pate, disclosed this in an update on his official X account on Monday, saying the patient was receiving treatment at Geneva University Hospitals, while her husband had been placed in isolation at University Hospital Zurich.
“The Swiss authorities have confirmed that the patient and her spouse arrived safely in Switzerland today,” Pate said.
He added that Switzerland had expressed appreciation for the care provided by Nigerian health professionals and the cooperation between both countries and the World Health Organisation (WHO) that facilitated the evacuation.
The minister thanked the clinical and public health teams in Nigeria and Switzerland, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), the Swiss health authorities and the WHO for their collaboration.
He said contact monitoring, investigation of alerts and other containment measures remained ongoing in Nigeria, with support from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the WHO Regional Office for Africa.
Pate also assured Nigerians that the Federal Government would continue providing updates through the NCDC and the ministry.
The WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Mohamed Janabi, had earlier said Nigeria had no active Ebola cases following the evacuation of the patient and her husband.
Janabi said Nigerian authorities would continue monitoring 52 identified contacts, while Swiss authorities would take responsibility for the patient’s treatment and follow-up of her husband, identified as contact number 53.
He, however, stressed that the absence of active cases did not eliminate the need for continued surveillance and contact tracing.
Pate had earlier confirmed that the evacuation was carried out with his approval, adding that the patient’s condition had improved considerably before she departed Abuja.
He said she was stable, conscious and communicating, with her laboratory results approaching baseline levels, but cautioned that her improved condition did not necessarily mean she was no longer infectious.
The Federal Government confirmed Nigeria’s first imported case of Ebola virus disease in the Federal Capital Territory on October 20, following the patient’s recent travel from Uganda. The infection was identified as the Bundibugyo strain of the virus.
Following the confirmation, health authorities activated surveillance, contact tracing and other measures to prevent further transmission.
Ebola is a severe viral disease transmitted through direct contact with the blood or other bodily fluids of an infected person or contaminated materials. Symptoms may include fever, fatigue, vomiting and diarrhoea.
The incubation period can last up to 21 days, making continued monitoring of exposed individuals essential.
Meanwhile, the Kebbi State Ministry of Health has intensified preparations to prevent the spread of the virus, including plans to screen passengers at designated entry and exit points.
The proposed screening will cover selected border points and Ahmadu Bello International Airport in Birnin Kebbi.
The ministry said its public health and epidemiology teams were strengthening surveillance and preparedness to ensure the early detection of suspected cases and a coordinated response to any potential outbreak.
As part of the preparations, public health officials visited the airport to assess its readiness and identify measures needed to improve disease surveillance.
The state government reaffirmed its commitment to protecting residents through enhanced surveillance, early detection and coordinated emergency response measures.
