By Divine Sam

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has said it is yet to establish where Nigeria’s confirmed Ebola patient contracted the virus, cautioning against linking the case to Uganda solely because the woman travelled through the country.

The Director-General of Africa CDC, Dr Jean Kaseya, made this known during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Thursday.

Kaseya explained that although the woman arrived in Nigeria from Uganda, investigations have not confirmed whether she contracted the virus in Kampala or another location.

“What we know is that the lady came from Uganda, but what we don’t know is whether it is a transmission from Uganda, Kampala, or a transmission that came from another place. When we have answers to these questions, I will go back to Uganda to discuss the issue.

“From what I know now, Uganda has declared the end of the outbreak,” Kaseya said.

He disclosed that Africa CDC is engaging with health authorities in Nigeria, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to trace the source of the infection and prevent the situation from escalating into a diplomatic dispute.

According to Kaseya, the patient is a Nigerian-born woman who resides in Abuja. She reportedly arrived in the Federal Capital Territory with her husband on October 3 after spending several days in Uganda.

However, Uganda’s Ministry of Health had earlier provided additional details about the woman’s travel history, stating that she travelled to eastern DRC for business before passing through Uganda on her way to Nigeria.

The ministry stressed that the woman’s transit through Uganda does not automatically mean she contracted Ebola there.

The ongoing investigation is expected to help health officials determine where the infection occurred and identify any potential exposure risks. Until the findings are established, authorities have urged caution against drawing conclusions about the origin of Nigeria’s case.