Nigeria Ebola index patient and husband arrive in Switzerland for treatment

Nigeria's Ebola index patient and her husband have arrived safely in Switzerland following their medical evacuation from Abuja. The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Ali Pate, disclosed that the patient is receiving treatment at Geneva University Hospitals, while her husband is in isolation at University Hospital Zurich.

The Swiss Federal Office of Public Health confirmed that both individuals are Swiss citizens and arrived on a medical evacuation flight. The agency stated that the woman is being treated for the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, while her husband remains in isolation as a close contact. Both hospitals have the necessary facilities and trained personnel, and the Swiss authorities noted that the arrangements pose no risk to public health in the country.

Containment Efforts in Nigeria

Before the evacuation on Monday, Prof Pate confirmed that the patient was stable, conscious, and communicating after her condition improved considerably in Abuja. Health officials cautioned that she could still be infectious despite her improved condition, which required strict public health protocols during the flight. Nigeria confirmed its first imported case on October 20 after the 42-year-old Ugandan-born woman living in Abuja returned from travel to Uganda on October 3.

Following the evacuation, health authorities are continuing contact monitoring, alert investigations, and other containment measures in Nigeria. According to the World Health Organisation, Nigeria is monitoring 52 contacts, in addition to the patient's husband, with support from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the WHO Regional Office for Africa. The Nigerian government previously stated that the outbreak could be declared over by December 7 if no further cases are detected.