WHO warns ‘more complex’ Ebola outbreak now present in 3 African countries

Notably, the World Health Organization (WHO) notes the Ebola outbreak that emerged in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is growing more "complex", with cases now present in countries in East and West Africa.

Key points

• Neighbouring Uganda recorded 20 confirmed cases, including 15 imported from the DRC, and two deaths, before it was declared Ebola-free in August.
• The Nigeria patient is the Ugandan-born wife of a Swiss diplomat based in Abuja.
• Nevertheless, Mankoula stated there was no validated information that she had been to DRC, and Jean Kaseya, the Africa CDC director general, noted the same.
• "We are facing a more complex outbreak landscape, " Mohamed Janabi, regional director for WHO in Africa, informed an online media briefing on Thursday.
• Investigators were looking at which Abuja health facilities she visited between the onset of symptoms and her hospitalisation 48 hours afterwards, he went on.

This comes as health authorities investigate where Nigeria's first case. It was confirmed this week, originated, raising questions regarding whether the patient crossed paths with Kenya's first patient at a Ugandan airport.

Nigeria documented its first case of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola on Tuesday, becoming the fourth ⁠African country and the most populous yet to be affected by an outbreak that was unveiled in DRC in mid-May and has since killed more than 4, 000 individuals there.

While Uganda had cases earlier in the year but has since been declared Ebola-free, kenya, DRC and Nigeria all have active or recent cases of the Bundibugyo strain.

Notably, the Nigeria patient is the Ugandan-born wife of a Swiss diplomat based in Abuja. Authorities in Uganda remarked she had travelled to eastern DRC before transiting through Uganda. But the WHO and Africa's top health agency remarked on ⁠Thursday they had not received confirmed information that the woman travelled to the DRC.

In practice, a Swiss administration statement to the Reuters news agency additionally noted the patient is believed to have contracted the disease while travelling in Uganda.

Wessam Mankoula, the head of Emergency Preparedness and Response at the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), remarked on Thursday that both the first Nigerian case and the first Kenyan case had left Entebbe on October 3, and that a feasible encounter between them was under investigation.

Ugandan authorities rejected the suggestion that she was infected in the country. Administration spokesman Alan Kasujja informed the AFP news agency that it was "preposterous" to link Uganda to the case simply since she had holidayed there.

Nevertheless, Mankoula stated there was no validated information that she had been to DRC, and Jean Kaseya, the Africa CDC director general, noted the same. Pavel Ursu, the WHO representative in Nigeria, remarked the information given to the organisation included no travel outside Uganda.

Patrick Otim, a WHO emergency response manager, remarked on Thursday the source of her infection was still unknown as health authorities were working to piece together her travel history.

Investigators were looking at which Abuja health facilities she visited between the onset of symptoms and her hospitalisation 48 hours afterwards, he went on. An growth in numbers.

Kenya's Ministry of Health confirmed its first case earlier this month and had documented eight more since. Patrick Amoth, the Health Ministry's director-general, remarked office-holders had traced all 135 contacts of the first case.

Nigeria is now tracing 44 contacts, and Mankoula remarked more had since been identified but did not provide a new number.

For context, the current outbreak is the deadliest in DRC's history, according to the country's health authorities. It has killed more than 4, 000 individuals out of more than 9, 000 confirmed cases since May.

Notably, the Africa CDC has cautioned of an "extremely serious threat", with the fatality rate in DRC approaching 50 percent.

In short, WHO warns 'more complex' Ebola outbreak now present in 3 African countries is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.