Africa CDC Investigates Potential Ebola Transmission at Ugandan Airport
Health officials are examining if the first confirmed cases in Kenya and Nigeria interacted at Entebbe International Airport.
By Lina Lewis ·
At least 4,600 people have died in the Democratic Republic of Congo since the current Ebola outbreak began in May. The crisis has now spread to four countries on the African continent, prompting a specific investigation into a potential transmission link between two recent cases in East and West Africa.
Health authorities announced on Thursday that they are examining whether the first confirmed Ebola patient in Nigeria had contact with the first Kenyan patient at Entebbe International Airport in Uganda. Dr. Wessam Mankoula, who leads emergency preparedness and response at the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, stated that investigators are looking into whether there was some sort of interaction between the two cases at the airport.
Nigeria reported its first Ebola case in more than a decade on Tuesday. The patient is the Ugandan-born wife of a diplomat posted in Abuja. Nigerian health officials said she vacationed in Uganda in September and returned to Nigeria earlier this month. She is currently receiving treatment, and 44 people identified as close contacts have been placed in quarantine.
The geographic location of the Nigerian case marks a shift in the outbreak's trajectory. Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and the first nation in West Africa to record a case in this epidemic. It is the fourth country affected and lies the farthest distance from the epicenter in eastern Congo. Investigators are working to determine how the woman was initially exposed to the virus.
The outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has become the fastest spreading on record. Approximately 9,700 people have been infected there. The virus initially appeared in May in the eastern part of the country before spreading to neighboring regions.
Uganda, a neighboring country to the Democratic Republic of Congo, reported about 20 cases early in the outbreak. Authorities declared the country free of Ebola in August. Kenya recorded its first case in early October, and eight additional cases have been confirmed since then.
The first Kenyan patient has died. This individual traveled from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Kenya via Uganda. Both that patient and the Nigerian case were present at Entebbe International Airport on the same day, which prompted the joint investigation by regional health bodies.
Ebola transmits through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person or through contaminated items. The disease causes severe fever and can be fatal. Medical experts note that people are generally not considered infectious until symptoms appear.
The Africa CDC discussed the inquiry during a press briefing on Thursday. The organization is coordinating with national health authorities in Nigeria, Kenya, and Uganda to trace the movement and potential contact points of the two patients.
