A Swiss woman who had been undergoing treatment for Ebola in Nigeria was medically evacuated to Switzerland on Monday alongside her husband. The woman, identified as the first case in Nigeria's current outbreak, departed from Abuja with the approval of Nigerian health officials.
According to Nigerian Health Minister Muhammad Pate, the patient’s condition had improved significantly, leaving her stable, conscious, and able to communicate. Despite this recovery, Pate emphasized that the patient remains infectious, necessitating the maintenance of strict medical protocols during her transport. Her husband, who is a Swiss diplomat stationed in Nigeria, has shown no symptoms of the virus.
Mohamed Janabi, the regional director for Africa at the World Health Organization (WHO), confirmed the evacuation was facilitated because the couple are Swiss citizens. He noted that Nigerian medical teams had successfully stabilized the woman throughout the acute phase of her illness. With the couple now en route to Switzerland, where her care will continue and her husband will undergo monitoring, Janabi stated that Nigeria currently has no remaining Ebola cases. He stressed, however, that the country must remain vigilant.
The woman had tested positive for the virus after returning to Abuja from a trip to Uganda. Nigerian authorities indicated they have not yet determined the exact source of her infection. Switzerland's foreign ministry confirmed she did not visit Congo and is believed to have been infected during her travel to Uganda with her husband. The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted that both the first patients identified in Nigeria and Kenya had traveled through Uganda’s Entebbe International Airport on October 3. While Uganda previously reported Ebola cases, it had since declared itself free of the virus.
The current outbreak, characterized by the rapid transmission of the rare Bundibugyo virus, is reportedly the fastest-spreading Ebola outbreak on record. The WHO warns that it is on track to surpass the death toll of the 2014-2016 West African outbreak, which claimed 11,000 lives. Nigerian authorities are continuing to monitor 52 people who had contact with the Swiss patient, and Minister Pate has urged the public to maintain caution as containment measures remain in effect.
Banchereau reported from Dakar, Senegal.
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