The Federal Government has confirmed an imported case of Ebola Virus Disease in the Federal Capital Territory.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.
He said the patient is a woman who recently arrived in Nigeria on an international flight from Uganda.
According to him, the woman was admitted to a private hospital in the FCT where she was treated for several days before laboratory tests confirmed the case.
The Minister said the patient is now in isolation and receiving medical care.
Professor Pate said the infection is the Bundibugyo strain of the virus and described the case as contained.
He said 44 close contacts have so far been identified, including healthcare workers, patients, caregivers and airline passengers.
The Minister said the Federal Ministry of Health, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and the FCT Health Services Secretariat are working together to prevent further spread.
He urged all public and private health facilities across the country to remain on high alert, promptly isolate suspected cases and report to relevant authorities.
Professor Pate also advised Nigerians to remain calm, observe regular hand washing and avoid contact with blood and body fluids of suspected cases.
He urged contacts of the patient to cooperate with health officials and follow public health advice.
Meanwhile, the NCDC had on October 6 issued an advisory on the risk of importation following confirmed cases in Kenya linked to the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The confirmation comes 12 years after Nigeria’s first Ebola case in 2014. The country was declared Ebola-free on October 20, 2014.
Anyone with symptoms or suspected exposure is advised to call the NCDC toll-free line 6232
