A deadly Ebola outbreak is raising international concerns after Nigeria confirmed its first case in a decade on October 20, adding another country to a growing public health emergency.
The outbreak, which began in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in May, has resulted [1] in more than 9,600 confirmed infections and more than 4,600 deaths, the vast majority in the DRC. 1,041 patients are currently hospitalized in isolation.
Active cases have also been reported in Kenya (nine confirmed) in addition to the Nigeria case; Uganda previously reported 20 cases but declared its outbreak over in late August and France had 1 imported case in June in which the patient recovered (a humanitarian doc who had been in the DRC).
According to a Reuters report [2], Nigeria’s newly confirmed patient reportedly began experiencing symptoms on October 7 but was not diagnosed until nearly two weeks later. Health officials have identified 44 contacts for monitoring as they investigate possible additional exposures (mostly healthcare workers).
The outbreak involves the Bundibugyo species of Ebola virus, for which there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment.
Ebola spreads through direct contact with infected bodily fluids and can cause fever, vomiting, bleeding and organ failure.
No cases linked to the outbreak have been confirmed in the United States, where health officials currently consider the public risk low.