Nigeria Investigates Two Suspected Ebola Cases

Nigeria has confirmed two suspected cases of Ebola in the northeast region, marking the country’s first reported case in more than a decade. Health authorities are conducting contact tracing and laboratory tests to confirm the diagnosis.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention stated that the individuals have been isolated and that confirmation of Ebola requires laboratory results. Officials emphasized that suspected cases do not equate to confirmed infections.

Last week, Nigeria became the fifth country affected by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola following an imported case from Uganda. A Swiss woman who tested positive for the virus was evacuated to Switzerland with her husband, a Swiss diplomat.

The current outbreak originated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in May and has since spread to Uganda, France, Kenya, and Nigeria. The Bundibugygo strain has resulted in over 5,000 deaths in the DRC, with more than 10,300 confirmed cases reported.

Health authorities in the DRC noted that persistent challenges in early detection and contact tracing are hindering efforts to control the outbreak. Only about 12 percent of confirmed cases have been identified among known contacts, with many deaths occurring in communities.

The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urged stronger protections for front-line workers after two Congolese doctors died from Ebola in North Kivu and Ituri provinces. No approved treatment or vaccine exists for this strain, though trials are ongoing.