Nigeria records first Ebola case as outbreak spreads across Africa

Nigeria has confirmed its first Ebola case in Africa’s latest outbreak, while Kenya reported its ninth infection, raising fears of further spread across the continent. Africa CDC chief Jean Kaseya warned of an “extremely serious threat” and urged the international community to send funding, medical supplies and health workers.

Nigeria said Tuesday it had recorded its first Ebola case of Africa’s latest outbreak, as Kenya declared its ninth case, prompting a regional health official to warn of “an extremely serious threat”.

The case in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, was detected in a woman who had travelled from Uganda to the capital Abuja, the government confirmed.

Since a major Ebola outbreak was declared in the Democratic Republic of Congo in May, the deadly viral haemorrhagic fever has spread to several countries across the continent, including neighbouring Uganda.

Kenya’s health ministry meanwhile reported its ninth Ebola case of the outbreak on Tuesday.

“This Ebola Bundibugyo outbreak has already become the most geographically widespread Ebola outbreak in history, affecting multiple countries across three regions of Africa,” said the director general of Africa CDC, Jean Kaseya.

In several months, the DRC’s Ebola epidemic has become the deadliest in the country’s history, killing 4,381 people out of more than 9,000 confirmed cases, according to the health authorities.

Source: France 24