Ebola Investigation: Entebbe Airport Links First Nigerian and Kenyan Cases

Nigeria has isolated 44 close contacts of its first confirmed Ebola patient as health officials investigate a potential connection to a deceased Kenyan case. The inquiry centers on whether the two individuals interacted at Entebbe International Airport in Uganda. Dr. Wessam Mankoula, director of emergency preparedness at the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, confirmed the probe during a press briefing on Thursday.

The Nigerian patient is the Ugandan-born wife of a diplomat stationed in Abuja. Nigerian health authorities reported the case on Tuesday, marking the country's first confirmed infection in more than ten years. The woman vacationed in Uganda in September and returned to Nigeria earlier this month. Mankoula stated that she is currently receiving treatment.

The geographic spread of the virus has expanded rapidly from its origin. The current outbreak began in May in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and is the fastest spreading on record. At least 4,600 people have died in Congo, with roughly 9,700 infected. Uganda, a neighboring country, reported about 20 cases but was declared free of the virus in August. Kenya recorded its first case in early October, followed by eight additional confirmations.

The first Kenyan patient, who has since died, traveled from Congo to Kenya via Uganda. Investigators noted that both that patient and the Nigerian case were at Entebbe International Airport on the same day. Mankoula said the Africa CDC is looking into whether there was some sort of interaction between the two cases at the airport. Ebola transmits through direct contact with bodily fluids or contaminated items. Individuals are generally not infectious until symptoms appear.

Nigeria is the fourth African country to record a case in the current outbreak. It is the first in West Africa and is the farthest location from the epicenter in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The country has the largest population on the continent. Health officials are working to establish how the Nigerian patient was initially exposed to the virus.