The Federal Government has confirmed a case of Ebola disease in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and commenced contact tracing to prevent further transmission of the infection.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, disclosed this on Tuesday, following laboratory confirmation of the case involving a woman who recently arrived in Nigeria on an international flight from Uganda.
The woman was admitted to a private hospital in the FCT, where she received treatment for several days before the infection was confirmed.
She is currently in isolation and receiving medical care, according to the Federal Government.
The government said 44 contacts had been identified, including healthcare workers, patients, caregivers and travel contacts.
Public health teams are working to identify and monitor other people who may have been exposed to the infection.
The government has intensified surveillance and urged public and private health facilities to remain on high alert, promptly identify and isolate suspected cases, observe strict infection prevention and control measures, and report suspected infections to public health authorities.
Pate also appealed to people contacted by public health teams, including passengers who may have travelled with the patient, to cooperate with the tracing exercise.
The government advised Nigerians to remain calm, wash their hands regularly and avoid contact with the blood or other body fluids of anyone suspected of having Ebola.
Against the backdrop of the confirmed case, PUNCH Online revisited the World Health Organisation’s fact sheet on Ebola disease and its guidance on contact tracing to sensitise Nigerians on how the infection spreads and the precautions they can take to reduce the risk of infection.
How Ebola spreads
According to the WHO’s “Ebola disease fact sheet”, people can contract the disease through direct contact, through broken skin or mucous membranes, with the blood or other body fluids of a person who is sick with or has died from Ebola.
The virus can also spread through objects and surfaces contaminated with infected body fluids, including blood, faeces and vomit.
WHO says people cannot transmit the disease before they develop symptoms, but they remain infectious for as long as the virus is present in their blood.
Human infection can also occur through contact with infected animals, including fruit bats and certain wild animals, particularly when people handle or consume infected animals.
The global health agency advises avoiding contact with sick or dead wild animals and not eating their raw meat.
Precautions Nigerians should take
The WHO advises people to avoid close physical contact with anyone suspected or confirmed to have Ebola, particularly contact with their body fluids.
Suspected and confirmed patients should be isolated in designated treatment facilities where they can receive appropriate care and where infection-control measures can be applied.
People should maintain good hand hygiene and keep their surroundings clean.
Healthcare workers must use appropriate personal protective equipment and follow infection prevention and control procedures when caring for suspected or confirmed cases, especially when there is a risk of exposure to blood, body fluids or contaminated materials.
The WHO also advises communities to ensure that burials are conducted safely and with dignity.
Traditional or funeral practices involving direct contact with the body of someone who died from Ebola can expose others to infection.
Watch for symptoms, seek care early
The WHO says Ebola symptoms may appear between two and 21 days after infection.
Early symptoms can include fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headache and sore throat.
These may be followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain and other complications.
However, the WHO cautions that Ebola can be difficult to distinguish from other illnesses, including malaria and typhoid fever, based on symptoms alone.
Anyone who develops symptoms after a possible exposure should seek urgent medical assessment and inform healthcare workers about the possible contact.
People should not attempt to diagnose or treat suspected Ebola at home.
Why contact tracing matters
Contact tracing involves identifying people who may have been exposed to an infected person and following up on their health.
WHO says this helps contacts access care promptly if symptoms develop and helps public health authorities interrupt further transmission.
The organisation recommends monitoring the health of people who may have been exposed for 21 days, corresponding to the maximum known incubation period.
Anyone contacted by public health authorities should provide accurate information and follow the instructions given by health officials.
Nigerians who suspect an exposure should cooperate with public health teams rather than conceal information or avoid follow-up.
The Federal Government has also provided the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention’s toll-free call centre, 6232, for information and reports of suspected cases.
The WHO says early supportive care, including rehydration and treatment of symptoms, can improve survival.
Prompt reporting, early medical care, cooperation with contact tracing and consistent infection-control practices are therefore important in limiting the risk of further transmission.