Alarm rises as late detection lets Ebola spread across Africa

Nigeria’s first Ebola patient in over a decade was not tested for the disease until 13 days after falling ill, officials said, raising questions about authorities’ ability to contain an outbreak already spanning four African nations, Reuters reports.

The epidemic, first detected 3,000 km away in the Democratic Republic of Congo in May, is the second-largest on record and had already hit Uganda and Kenya before the Nigerian case was confirmed on Tuesday, marking the widest known spread on the continent.

The patient, the Ugandan-born wife of a Swiss diplomat, arrived in Abuja on October 3 after a two-week holiday in Uganda, Dr Jean Kaseya, director-general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

She fell ill three days later, initially suspecting malaria and seeking treatment at several facilities before finally being tested for Ebola on October 19.

“When we identified at-risk countries, Nigeria was not part of this list. It is now,” Kaseya said, adding that North and Southern Africa could also now be at risk. “We need to consider that no-one is safe today.”

The late detection will complicate contact tracing efforts, Kaseya said, noting the woman came into contact with health workers, family members and friends during the nearly two-week delay. Nigeria has identified 44 contacts so far, a number expected to rise.

The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, for which there is no vaccine or treatment. It has infected more than 9,500 people and killed more than 4,600 in Congo alone.