Uganda says it has no confirmed active Ebola cases and that the Abuja patient is a Nigerian who transited after travelling to eastern DRC.
Uganda’s Ministry of Health says it has no confirmed active Ebola cases and that the woman diagnosed in Abuja is a Nigerian who transited through the country after travelling to eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for business.
In a statement signed by Charles Olaro, director-general of health services, the ministry said she transited through Uganda in early October. It said she showed no symptoms in Uganda and became ill after arriving in Nigeria.
The ministry argued that passing through Uganda does not prove she was infected there. It said “the location of exposure remains under investigation”. It added that Nigeria is yet to provide full details of her travel itinerary and clinical history, which it says are needed to guide investigations and any contact tracing. Government spokesperson Alan Kasujja also said there is no Ebola in Uganda.
The ministry said it had maintained limited provisions for humanitarian and diplomatic movement and would work with relevant agencies to strengthen screening and public health controls at points of entry. It urged the public to stay calm and vigilant and to wash and sanitise their hands regularly.
What Nigeria has said about the Abuja patient
Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Ali Pate, said laboratory tests on Tuesday confirmed the infection in a woman who recently arrived on an international flight from Uganda. She was admitted to a private hospital in the FCT and received care for several days before the diagnosis. Forty-four contacts have been identified and are being monitored.
WHO said she arrived in Nigeria on 3 October and developed symptoms on 7 October. She sought care at a private facility in Abuja on 11 October, and the virus was confirmed on 20 October.
Uganda Ebola claim leaves the source of infection unresolved
Uganda’s statement is limited to “confirmed active” cases. The country officially ended its outbreak on 27 August. The ministry has not said she was infected in the DRC, only that the location of exposure is unknown.
Symptoms began four days after she arrived in Nigeria. Kenya’s health ministry puts Ebola’s incubation period at 2 to 21 days. Exposure could therefore have occurred in the weeks before onset, which is why the dates and places in her itinerary matter.
The public statements do not say whether the 44 contacts include people on her flights. Neither government has published her movements in the DRC or Uganda.
Nigeria is the fifth country to detect the virus since the outbreak was declared in the DRC on 15 May. Kenya, the fourth, confirmed its first case earlier this month. It has since reported nine cases.
The next confirmed steps are further updates from the Presidential Taskforce on Ebola Virus Disease and the NCDC. Pate said they would continue to provide them.
