The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) says the source of Nigeria’s Ebola case remains unclear, as health officials investigate where the patient contracted the virus.
Africa CDC Director General Dr Jean Kaseya disclosed this during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Thursday.
Kaseya said the patient travelled from Uganda to Nigeria, but investigators have not established whether she contracted the virus in Uganda or another location.
“What we know is that the lady came from Uganda, but what we don’t know is whether it is a transmission from Uganda, Kampala, or a transmission that came from another place,” he said.
He added that he would discuss the findings with Ugandan officials when investigators establish the source of infection. Kaseya also said Uganda had declared the end of its outbreak. Kaseya said Africa CDC was working with Nigeria, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to trace the infection and prevent diplomatic tensions.
He disclosed that the patient was born in Nigeria, lived in Abuja and arrived in the Federal Capital Territory with her husband on October 3 after spending time in Uganda.
However, Uganda’s Ministry of Health gave a different account of the patient’s travel history.
The ministry said the Nigerian national had travelled to eastern DRC for business before passing through Uganda.
It stressed that travelling through Uganda did not establish that the patient contracted Ebola there.
The conflicting accounts underline the need for health authorities to establish the patient’s movements and identify the source of infection.
Meanwhile, Africa CDC is continuing to work with the three countries to clarify where transmission occurred.
The findings are expected to guide further discussions between the relevant health authorities. However, Kaseya said investigators had not yet confirmed the location where the patient contracted the virus.
