Ebola patient reportedly flown out of Abuja on air ambulance
- A woman confirmed with Ebola in Abuja was reportedly evacuated by air ambulance early Monday.
- The evacuation was reported at the private jet wing of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.
- The Federal Government and health authorities had not confirmed the evacuation or her destination.
A woman confirmed to have Ebola in Nigeria has reportedly been flown out of the country on a medical evacuation aircraft. The evacuation was reported to have taken place early on Monday at the private jet wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
The reports, first carried by ARISE News and cited by other outlets, said the patient is a 42-year-old woman described as the wife of a Swiss diplomat. She was said to be scheduled to leave at about 6 a.m. on a medical evacuation plane already waiting at the airport.
According to the reports, a convoy of three vehicles, including ambulances and diplomatic vehicles, arrived from Abuja city centre. Airport officials were said to have cordoned off the private aviation section during the operation.
As of Monday morning, neither the Federal Government nor health authorities had confirmed the evacuation, the patient's identity or where she was taken. A source quoted in the reports said the government intended to announce the evacuation only after the aircraft had left Nigerian airspace.
What we know about the case
The reported evacuation comes six days after the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) confirmed an Ebola infection in a woman who arrived in Abuja from Uganda through Addis Ababa on October 3.
The NCDC said she developed symptoms on October 7, and laboratory tests confirmed the infection on October 20.
At a briefing on Sunday, NCDC Director-General Jide Idris said 53 primary contacts had been identified and were being monitored. The agency also said a suspected Ebola case in Rivers State had tested negative.
Ebola spreads through direct contact with the blood or body fluids of an infected person, or with contaminated surfaces and materials. Health workers and family members caring for a sick patient are most at risk.
What happens next
Nigerians should expect an official statement from the Federal Government or the NCDC on the reported evacuation and on the contact tracing already under way. Until then, the details reported by the outlets remain unconfirmed.
Anyone who develops fever, sore throat, muscle pain, vomiting or unexplained bleeding should contact health authorities promptly rather than treat it at home.
