Nigeria probes suspected Ebola case, one year after virus was stopped
A patient has reportedly died at a hospital in southern Nigeria after displaying Ebola-like symptoms. Ten people have been quarantined as authorities investigate the cause of death.
A patient has reportedly died at a hospital in southern Nigeria after displaying Ebola-like symptoms. Ten people have been quarantined as authorities investigate the cause of death.
Ten people have been quarantined after coming into contact with a patient with Ebola-like symptoms in Nigeria, a year after health officials declared the country Ebola-free.
The patient checked into a teaching hospital in the southern city of Calabar on Wednesday after showing signs of the deadly virus, Reuters reports. The BBC reports that he apparently died shortly after being admitted to the hospital, but his exact condition is unknown.聽
"We have sent blood samples for testing and quarantined identified contacts," saod the hospital's chief medical director, Queeneth Kalu. Most of those quarantined are medical personnel, and officials insisted聽there was no cause for panic among the public.聽
Last year Nigeria was hailed as聽a 鈥渟pectacular success story,鈥澛燼ccording to the World Health Organization,聽after containing the Ebola virus in July 2014. At the time, Nigeria had reported 20 cases of Ebola, including eight deaths. One of those who died was a Liberian airline passenger who brought Ebola to Nigeria and died soon after.
Nigeria is Africa鈥檚 most populous country, and experts warn that that its geographical location and extensive borders makes it vulnerable to imported cases of Ebola.
The new potential聽case comes as Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia 鈥� the three countries worst affected by Ebola 鈥� each recorded their first week with no new cases since the outbreak began in March 2014.聽
Sierra Leone released its last known Ebola patients on Sept. 28 and must wait 42 days until it can be declared Ebola-free. Liberia received that designation again Sept. 3 after a flare-up in June; Guinea's most recent cases were recorded on Sept. 27. More than 11,000 people have聽 died in the West African Ebola outbreak, and communities in all three countries are聽now working to rebuild.
Nigeria鈥檚 past success was based on 鈥渃ontract tracing": determining every person that "patient zero" had contact with, then monitoring them for symptoms. The Washington Post reported:
Officials in Nigeria say they will share news of the blood samples taken from the patient in Calabar on Friday.