9,500 Ebola Infections: Nigeria Confirms First Case in a Decade Amid Travel Dispute

Nigeria has confirmed its first Ebola case in more than a decade, triggering a dispute between African and European health officials over the patient's recent travel history. The infection marks the fourth African country affected by the current outbreak, raising concerns about further spread across the continent.

The Swiss foreign ministry stated on Friday that the patient is the Ugandan-born wife of a Swiss diplomat stationed in Abuja. According to the ministry, the woman did not visit the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the outbreak began in mid-May. Instead, officials said she likely contracted the virus while traveling with her husband in Uganda.

This account contradicts earlier statements from Ugandan authorities, who reported that the woman traveled to eastern DR Congo. A Ugandan government spokesperson told Reuters on Thursday that the country had no active Ebola cases and would publish any new information immediately. Uganda had previously reported cases in May and June, and the World Health Organization declared the country Ebola-free in August.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating a potential link to a patient in Kenya. Dr. Wessam Mankoula, the organization's head of emergency preparedness and response, noted that both individuals passed through Entebbe airport on October 3. Catherine Smallwood, a WHO Ebola incident manager, said the connection is possible but requires a comparison of symptom onset dates to determine if the airport was the point of transmission.

Marion Koopmans, a Dutch virologist on the WHO's Ebola emergency committee, described the airport theory as very speculative. She argued that random presence at a large airport does not constitute a supported epidemiological link without evidence of shared space.

Muhammad Ali Pate, Nigeria's health minister, stated that the case remains contained and contact tracing is ongoing. He said, "We are trying to contain it so it doesn't go out to the communities." Melaku Yirga, vice-president for Africa at Prosper Global, emphasized the need for speed and cross-border information sharing to support frontline health workers.

The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, for which no approved treatment or vaccine exists. Announced on May 15, the epidemic has infected more than 9,500 people and killed nearly half of them. It is the largest outbreak in DR Congo's history and the second largest globally, following the 2014 to 2016 west Africa epidemic that infected over 28,600 people.