Ebola: Uganda denies outbreak, says infected patient a Nigerian

The Ugandan Government has clarified that it has no active cases of the Ebola virus disease, following the confirmation of an infected female patient in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

The East African nation clarified that the patient only transited through its borders after conducting business in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The clarification comes hours after Nigeria’s Minister of Health, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, announced that the woman tested positive after arriving on an international flight from Uganda. The patient was admitted to a private hospital in the FCT where she received care for days before the diagnosis, and is currently in isolation.

The Director-General of Health Services in Uganda, Charles Olaro, in response to the case in Nigeria, issued a statement distancing his country from the infection source. He explained that the Eastern DRC, where the woman travelled for business, is currently battling nearly 10,000 active cases and 4,500 Ebola-related deaths.

According to Olaro, the patient showed no symptoms while in Uganda but developed them upon arriving in Nigeria.

“Travel through Uganda does not establish that infection occurred here. The location of exposure remains under investigation…The Government of Nigeria is yet to provide detailed information on her travel itinerary and clinical history which will guide further investigations and any necessary contact tracing. We wish to clarify that, as at the time of this statement, Uganda has NO confirmed active Ebola cases.”

Meanwhile, the Federal Government of Nigeria has advised the public to stay calm, directing all healthcare facilities nationwide to remain on high alert.

The health ministry also
directed workers to stay on an alert in order to identify suspected cases, and observe strict infection prevention measures.