According to the Swiss foreign ministry, the woman and her husband travelled to Uganda earlier in October. Her husband has been placed in isolation as a precaution but has not shown any symptoms of the disease.
The ministry said the woman had spent approximately one week receiving care at a private clinic in Abuja after developing symptoms before her infection was confirmed. She is currently receiving treatment in an isolation facility and is showing signs of improvement, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
The Swiss government also disclosed that all 25 employees of its embassy in Nigeria, including eight Swiss nationals and 17 local staff, remained in good health. Following consultations with Nigeria’s Ministry of Health and the WHO, the staff were not required to isolate.
The embassy remains open and operational, with precautionary health and safety measures in place.
Source of Infection Remains Unclear
The woman returned to Nigeria on October 3 after spending approximately two and a half weeks in Uganda. However, investigators have yet to establish where she contracted the virus.
The Swiss government told Reuters that the woman did not travel to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), contradicting earlier statements by Ugandan officials who suggested she had visited the country for business.
The WHO, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and Nigeria’s health ministry have said they have not received verified information confirming that she travelled to DR Congo.
The WHO has cautioned that it is too early to determine the source of the infection, adding that investigators are reconstructing the woman’s travel and exposure history.
The process has reportedly been complicated by limited opportunities to interview her while she remains in hospital.
Health authorities are also examining whether the woman may have had contact with a Kenyan man who died from Ebola after travelling through Uganda’s main airport on the same day.
The Africa CDC said investigators were assessing whether the two patients could have been exposed through shared equipment or other forms of contact. However, no link between the cases has been established.
Uganda, meanwhile, maintains that it has no confirmed active Ebola cases and says the woman’s travel through the country does not necessarily mean she contracted the virus there.
Authorities Expand Contact Tracing
Nigeria’s health authorities have expanded efforts to identify and monitor people who may have been exposed to the patient.
Officials initially identified 44 contacts, but investigations are continuing to determine whether additional individuals could have come into contact with her before the diagnosis.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) is also conducting genomic sequencing to establish whether the infection is connected to other cases in the region.
Authorities have confirmed that the woman is infected with the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, the same strain associated with the outbreak in DR Congo.
Genomic analysis and epidemiological investigations are expected to help authorities understand whether the Nigerian case is connected to the wider regional outbreak or resulted from another exposure.
The findings could also guide decisions on surveillance, contact tracing and other measures to prevent further transmission.
Regional Outbreak Raises Concern
The confirmed case in Nigeria comes amid a wider Ebola outbreak affecting parts of Africa.
The Democratic Republic of Congo has experienced a deadly outbreak, while Kenya has reported nine cases, including the initial patient who died after travelling from DR Congo through Uganda.
Kenya’s Health Director-General, Patrick Amoth, said all nine infections were linked to the initial patient. He added that authorities had found no evidence of wider community transmission.
According to Amoth, the eight surviving patients remained in isolation and were responding well to treatment.
The developments have prompted calls for increased coordination among African countries to prevent cross-border transmission and strengthen preparedness.
The WHO’s Regional Director for Africa, Mohamed Janabi, has urged countries to intensify surveillance, investigate suspected infections promptly and protect frontline health workers.
Public Health Precautions
Ebola is a serious viral disease that can spread through direct contact with the blood or other bodily fluids of an infected person, as well as contaminated objects. Symptoms may include fever, severe weakness, vomiting and diarrhoea.
Health authorities emphasise that rapid identification of suspected cases, isolation, contact tracing and timely medical care are essential to containing outbreaks.
For Nigeria, the immediate priorities include determining how the woman became infected, identifying anyone who may have been exposed and preventing further transmission.
Although the patient is reportedly improving, the source of her infection remains unresolved. Investigations by the NCDC, WHO and Africa CDC are continuing, with genomic sequencing and the reconstruction of her movements expected to provide further evidence.
Authorities have not established a connection between the Nigerian case and the wider regional outbreak. Until the investigations are completed, the circumstances surrounding the infection remain under examination.
