The World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, Prof. Mohamed Janabi, has stated that Nigeria currently has no Ebola cases following the medical evacuation of the country’s index patient and her husband to Switzerland.
TheNewsGuru reports that Janabi made the announcement on his X handle on Monday, saying Nigeria would continue to monitor 52 contacts linked to the patient, while Switzerland would take responsibility for her ongoing care and monitoring her husband.
“Earlier this morning, the Ebola patient in Nigeria and her contact, who is also her husband, were medically evacuated to Switzerland.
“With the evacuation of the patient and her husband, Nigeria currently has no Ebola cases. However, vigilance remains critical,” Janabi said.
TNG understands that the patient, a 42-year-old Ugandan-born wife of a Swiss diplomat based in Abuja, was evacuated alongside her husband, who has remained asymptomatic. Both are Swiss citizens, Janabi said.
The evacuation followed reports that the woman was flown out of Nigeria early Monday aboard a medical evacuation aircraft from the private jet wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
According to Janabi, Nigerian medical teams had managed the patient through the acute phase of the illness before her condition improved enough for the evacuation.
He added that, despite the evacuation, Nigeria would continue monitoring 52 contacts linked to the patient, while Switzerland would assume responsibility for the patient’s continued care and follow up with her husband, identified as contact number 53.
“Nigeria will continue the close follow-up of 52 contacts, while Switzerland will assume responsibility for the continued management of the patient and the follow-up of contact number 53, her husband,” he said.
In a separate tweet on Monday, the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, confirmed that the patient had departed Abuja for Switzerland with his approval.
He said the patient’s condition had improved considerably and that her clinical and laboratory results were approaching baseline levels, but warned that she could still transmit the virus.
“I confirm that, with my approval, earlier this morning, the index case for Nigeria’s first imported Ebola virus disease departed Abuja for Switzerland. The index patient was clinically much improved, stable, conscious, communicating, and her clinical laboratory test results closing towards baseline,” said Pate.
“This does not mean she is not still infectious, hence the strict protocols in place. The patient was evacuated along with her spouse who has remained asymptomatic.
“I thank all the various clinical staff for the high quality care they provided the patient as well as the public health personnel who ensured the evacuation was carried out in line with best public health measures for such evacuations.
“We will provide further updates later this afternoon after the patient and her spouse lands successfully in their destination. All public health measures are continuing to ensure successful containment of the imported virus. I urge Nigerians to remain vigilant and rely on information from credible sources.”
Nigeria confirmed its first imported case of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola on October 20, after laboratory tests detected the virus in the woman, who had recently travelled to Uganda.
Nigerian health authorities initially identified 44 contacts linked to the case, but the number later rose to 53. They include healthcare workers, domestic staff and the patient’s husband. Authorities are monitoring the contacts to detect any possible transmission.