By Habeeb Ibrahim
The Federal Government has said there is no licensed vaccine or specific treatment for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus, following the confirmation of a case in Nigeria.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, disclosed this during an interview on Arise TV on Wednesday.
Pate said the infected woman, who travelled to Nigeria from Uganda, was admitted to a private hospital in Abuja, where she was diagnosed with the Bundibugyo strain of the virus.
According to him, the patient received supportive care, antibiotics and antiviral medication at different stages before the diagnosis was established.
He said the patient was stable at the time of the interview but noted that her condition could change.
The minister explained that the absence of a licensed, strain-specific treatment or vaccine made supportive care important in managing the patient.
Following the case, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention activated contact tracing, enhanced surveillance and infection prevention measures to reduce the risk of further transmission.
The report said 44 contacts were initially identified for monitoring.
In Anambra State, authorities were reportedly monitoring 40 persons of interest. Of these, 33 had completed monitoring, while seven remained under follow-up as of October 20.
Ogun State was also tracing 111 persons of interest as part of efforts to monitor possible exposure.
Ebola is a severe viral disease that can spread through direct contact with the blood or other body fluids of an infected person who is showing symptoms, as well as through contaminated materials.
Common symptoms include fever, severe headache, weakness, muscle pain, vomiting and diarrhoea.
Health authorities have continued to emphasise surveillance, early detection, infection prevention and the monitoring of contacts to limit the spread of the virus.
