In brief
Switzerland’s foreign ministry confirmed that the wife of a Swiss diplomat, living in Abuja, tested positive for Ebola on 20 October, the country’s first case in over a decade. Authorities are treating her under WHO guidelines while keeping her husband isolated and uninfected. Investigations point to Uganda as the likely source, yet genomic sequencing is underway to link her to the Bundibugyo strain active in the region. The incident underscores cross‑border health risks and has prompted extensive contact tracing across Nigeria, Kenya and Uganda.
Switzerland’s foreign ministry confirmed that the woman who tested positive for Ebola in Nigeria is the wife of a Swiss diplomat.
The 42‑year‑old, Ugandan‑born resident of Abuja, was diagnosed on 20 October, marking Nigeria’s first confirmed Ebola case in more than a decade.
She and her husband had travelled to Uganda earlier this month; his spouse remains isolated but symptom‑free, while the 25 staff at the Swiss embassy report no illness.
Authorities suspect she contracted the virus while in Uganda, though investigations are still underway to trace the exact exposure as the country sits at a crossroads with Democratic Republic of Congo and neighboring Uganda.
The woman is receiving treatment under WHO supervision and shows signs of improvement, while Nigerian and international agencies, including WHO and Africa CDC, are conducting genomic sequencing to link the case to the Bundibugyo strain that has sparked outbreaks in the region.
Meanwhile, health officials are expanding contact tracing beyond the initial 44 contacts to safeguard the community and prevent further spread.
The incident highlights the challenges of cross‑border pathogen spread in the region, underscoring the need for stronger surveillance and rapid response mechanisms.
