Nigeria confirms first Ebola case in a decade after woman travels from Uganda

Nigeria has confirmed its first Ebola case in about ten years, involving a woman living in the capital who tested positive after arriving from Uganda, according to the Canberra Times.

The woman had traveled to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which is experiencing the second-largest Ebola outbreak on record with over 9,000 cases and more than 4,000 deaths, the Canberra Times reported.

She began showing symptoms on October 7 and sought treatment at a private hospital on October 11. Testing confirmed Ebola infection on October 19, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention said, as cited by the Canberra Times.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is assisting Nigeria with the response, noting that 44 contacts have been identified and are being monitored. Infection prevention measures have been increased at the hospital where the woman received care, UN News reported.

Nigeria's health authorities have activated an incident management system to coordinate efforts. WHO emphasized the importance of rapid case identification, contact follow-up, and infection control to contain the virus.

The woman remains in isolation and is receiving medical care while investigations continue to determine the source of infection and reconstruct her travel history, UN News added.