The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, has said there is no licensed treatment or vaccine specifically approved for the Ebola virus variant responsible for Nigeria’s current outbreak.
Pate disclosed this during an interview with Arise Television on Wednesday, explaining that the infected patient was receiving supportive medical care while her body’s immune system continued to fight the infection.
“Specific treatment for this variant of Ebola virus, or a specific vaccine, is not yet licensed, approved to be used,” the minister said.
He added that researchers were exploring possible treatments and vaccines that could help manage the disease.
“There are various efforts to try different types of vaccines or molecules to see whether they can bring relief,” he said.
Pate explained that the patient had received antibiotics and antiviral medication at different stages of her treatment because doctors initially suspected a viral illness before confirming the Ebola infection.
He said she was receiving appropriate medical attention, although there was no specific licensed treatment for the variant.
The minister noted that the patient’s immune response could also play a role in her recovery, adding that she was stable at the time of the interview.
“I think we’re very fortunate that she is stable at this moment. We hope she continues to remain stable, because things can change when you have an infectious disease that you don’t fully control the course of illness,” he said.
Pate credited Nigeria’s healthcare infrastructure, laboratory capacity and trained health professionals with helping to detect the infection and provide care to the patient.
“We’ve got laboratory capacity that has all come together to allow the patient to walk through the Nigerian healthcare system, be detected, and be catered for,” he said.
He added that public health experts and epidemiologists were working to identify and monitor people who might have come into contact with the infected woman.
However, the minister stressed that the success of the response also depended on public cooperation and compliance with health authorities’ instructions.
“But it goes beyond the public health system; it also requires Nigerians themselves in how we behave, so that those who may have contact with her continue to comply,” Pate said.
The Federal Government confirmed the Ebola case after a woman who had travelled from Uganda developed symptoms and was admitted to a private hospital in Abuja. She was subsequently diagnosed with the Bundibugyo strain of the virus.
Following the confirmation, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention activated response measures, including contact tracing, enhanced surveillance and infection prevention efforts.
Health authorities also urged public and private healthcare facilities to remain vigilant and promptly report suspected cases.
The PUNCH reported that 44 contacts had initially been identified for monitoring. In Anambra State, 40 persons of interest were followed up, with 33 completing their monitoring period and seven remaining under active follow-up as of October 20. Ogun State was also tracing 111 persons of interest.
The United States Mission in Nigeria issued a health advisory to its citizens following the reported case, urging anyone who might have been exposed to seek medical guidance if symptoms developed.
Ebola spreads mainly through direct contact with the blood or other body fluids of an infected person who has developed symptoms, as well as through contaminated materials.
Symptoms can include fever, severe headache, weakness, muscle pain, vomiting and diarrhoea. Because these symptoms can resemble those of other illnesses, including malaria, health authorities have urged people to seek medical attention when necessary and follow public health guidance.