With index case evacuated to Switzerland, Nigeria may be declared Ebola-free in December – FG

Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, Minister of Health and Social Welfare. Spread the word Nigeria may declare the end of its imported Bundibugyo Ebola Virus Disease case on December 7, provided no further cases are recorded and health authorities validate the date.

Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, disclosed this Monday  on his official X handle following the medical evacuation of the index patient to Switzerland.

Pate said the proposed date was provisional and depended on the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) validating the 42-day countdown.

“Any further case would require a fresh countdown in accordance with those criteria,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted the minister as saying the immediate priorities remained health facilities.

The minister added that response teams, working with the Federal Capital Territory Administration, state health authorities and development partners, remained focused on containing the virus and preventing community transmission.

Pate urged Nigerians to remain calm, cooperate with contact-tracing teams and follow regular updates from the NCDC and the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.

The minister said the index case was evacuated to Switzerland for further medical care.

He said the patient departed Abuja earlier Monday morning with his approval.

The minister added that the patient’s condition had improved significantly before the evacuation, with the individual stable, conscious and able to communicate.

He said laboratory results were approaching baseline levels but warned that the improvement does not mean the patient was no longer infectious.

“The index patient was clinically much improved, stable, conscious, communicating, and her clinical laboratory test results closing towards baseline. This does not mean she is not still infectious, hence the strict protocols in place,” Pate said.

He added that the patient was evacuated alongside her spouse, who had remained asymptomatic.

The minister commended the clinical staff who managed the patient and public health personnel who ensured the evacuation complied with appropriate public health measures.

He further stated that updates would be provided later in the afternoon after the patient and spouse arrived safely at their destination.

NAN reports that Nigeria confirmed its first imported case of the virus disease on October 20 after a woman with recent travel history to Uganda tested positive.

The NCDC identified 53 contacts linked to the case, including healthcare workers, domestic staff and the patient’s spouse.

The agency said the contacts were being monitored, with none testing positive at the time of the report.

On October 23, Pate said genomic analysis showed that the virus isolated from the Nigerian patient was closely related to the strain in the index case in Kenya.

He cautioned, however, that the genetic relationship did not establish a direct transmission link between the two cases.

The federal government has also intensified surveillance at points of entry, strengthened infection prevention and control in health facilities, and urged healthcare workers to promptly report suspected cases.

The government has urged Nigerians to observe basic preventive measures, cooperate with public health officials and avoid spreading unverified information about the disease. (Additional reports from NAN)