A Swiss national, who is a 42-year-old woman, has been confirmed as the first Ebola patient in Nigeria, according to the Swiss government. The woman, who is the spouse of an employee at the Swiss embassy in Uganda, had traveled from Uganda to Nigeria in early October.
What happened
The patient initially presented with an unknown illness and was incorrectly diagnosed with malaria before testing positive for Ebola on October 20. The Nigerian government confirmed the case on Tuesday, and the Swiss government later revealed that the patient is a Ugandan-born Swiss national.
The patient's travel history has raised questions about where she contracted the virus, with the Ugandan government insisting that it has no confirmed active Ebola cases. The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported 9,066 cases of Ebola Bundibugyo linked to the current outbreak, with 4,381 deaths.
The Nigerian government has announced increased surveillance actions to prevent the spread of the virus, and the Swiss government has indicated that it may repatriate the patient for further treatment. The patient's husband, who accompanied her on the trip, is reportedly asymptomatic and in quarantine.
