In brief
Nigeria’s first confirmed Ebola patient in more than ten years is the wife of a Swiss ambassador. The 42‑year‑old Ugandan‑born woman, living in Abuja, tested positive on 20 October after a week of hospital visits. She was exposed during travel in Uganda, though the exact source remains unclear. The Swiss embassy staff are healthy and remain at work. WHO reports the patient is improving under isolation treatment.
Switzerland’s foreign ministry confirmed that the woman who tested positive for Ebola in Nigeria is the wife of a Swiss ambassador.
The 42‑year‑old, Ugandan‑born resident of Abuja, was diagnosed on 20 October. She had been in private clinics for a week before her test returned positive, marking Nigeria’s first confirmed case in over a decade.
Her husband, the Swiss consul, remains in isolation but is symptom‑free. Swiss officials and WHO say all 25 embassy staff are healthy and need not isolate, after consultations with Nigeria’s health ministry.
Health experts suspect the infection was contracted during her recent trip to Uganda, though authorities have not pinpointed a source. The patient is receiving treatment in isolation and shows signs of improvement according to WHO spokesmen.
NCDC and WHO are conducting genomic sequencing to determine links to other regional cases. The patient carries the Bundibugyo Ebola strain, the same strain that caused the DR Congo outbreak. Investigations continue to map her travel and exposure history.
Nigerian health officials have expanded contact tracing beyond the initial 44 contacts. The WHO urges regional vigilance, highlighting challenges in screening porous borders between Uganda and DR Congo.
