The Swiss government has denied that the Ebola patient identified in Nigeria travelled to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), contradicting earlier claims by Ugandan authorities about her movements before she fell ill.
The dispute comes as health authorities investigate the source of Nigeria’s first Ebola case in more than a decade, with conflicting accounts emerging over where the woman may have contracted the virus.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) have also said they had not received confirmed information that the woman travelled to the DRC.
Conflicting accounts emerge over patient’s travel history
On Friday, the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs said the woman, described as the Ugandan-born wife of a Swiss diplomat based in Abuja, did not travel to the DRC with her husband, according to Reuters.
- The department reiterated its position, stating, “She and her husband did not travel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.”
- On Thursday, the Swiss department said that the woman was believed to have contracted Ebola while travelling with her husband in Uganda, according to Reuters.
- Ugandan authorities, however, said she had travelled to eastern DRC, where the current outbreak was declared in mid-May.
- Uganda reported 20 Ebola cases in May and June, mostly imported from the DRC, before the WHO declared the country Ebola-free in August.
Ugandan government spokesperson Alan Kasujja told Reuters on Thursday that Uganda had no Ebola cases and that the government would make any new infections public.
Nigeria confirms first Ebola case in more than a decade
Nigeria confirmed its first Ebola case in more than a decade on October 20, after laboratory tests detected the virus in a woman living in Abuja who had recently travelled to Uganda.
Health Minister Muhammad Ali Pate said the patient had been isolated and was receiving medical care, while authorities had identified 44 people who may have come into contact with her and begun contact tracing.
The woman reportedly developed symptoms on October 7 and sought medical attention on October 11, before testing positive for Ebola on October 20.
Regional outbreak raises cross-border transmission concerns
Nigeria’s case adds to the spread of the Ebola outbreak across four African countries: the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Uganda, Kenya and Nigeria.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) put the death toll at about 4,700.
- Kenya has recorded infections linked to the regional outbreak. On October 18, Nairametrics reported that four new cases had raised the country’s total to seven, including one death. Three of the newly identified patients were healthcare workers who had attended to the country’s first confirmed case.
- Kenya confirmed its first case on October 6 after a citizen who had returned from the DRC tested positive for Ebola and later died in Nairobi, as previously reported by Nairametrics.
- Nigeria had taken steps to prepare for possible imported infections before its latest case was confirmed. In May, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) said the country had no confirmed Ebola cases but warned of the risk of importation. The agency said it had strengthened surveillance, laboratory readiness and coordination with health authorities at the country’s entry points.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) also activated enhanced Ebola screening and emergency response protocols at international airports nationwide in May to help identify and contain potential imported cases.