Abuja:Switzerland's foreign ministry has confirmed that a woman who tested positive for Ebola in Nigeria is the spouse of a Swiss diplomat. The woman, a 42-year-old Ugandan-born national residing in Abuja, tested positive for Ebola on October 20, marking the first confirmed case in Nigeria in more than ten years.
According to Ghana Web, the woman and her husband had traveled to Uganda earlier in the month. Her husband is currently in isolation but has not developed any symptoms. The Swiss foreign ministry reported that all 25 staff members at its embassy in Nigeria are in good health and do not need to isolate.
The woman, who is receiving treatment in isolation, showed signs of improvement. She spent about a week at a private clinic in Abuja before her diagnosis. Health authorities believe she contracted the virus while in Uganda, although the precise source of infection remains undetermined. Investigators are examining whether she may have come into contact with a Kenyan man who died from Ebola and had traveled through Uganda's main airport on the same day.
The Kenyan man had traveled from the Democratic Republic of Congo through Uganda before arriving in Nairobi, where he died, marking Kenya's first recorded Ebola death. Kenya has since confirmed eight additional cases. Nigeria's Centre for Disease Control and Prevention is conducting genomic sequencing to determine if the woman's infection is linked to other cases. It has been confirmed that she has the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, the same strain responsible for the outbreak in DR Congo.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and other health authorities warn that the porous border between DR Congo and Uganda complicates efforts to control the spread of the virus. Regional vigilance has been urged, and health workers are advised to strengthen surveillance and protect frontline staff. Ebola spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids of an infected person and can be fatal, emphasizing the importance of early treatment and contact tracing to prevent further transmission.