No licensed treatment for Ebola strain in Nigeria, says health minister
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, has said there is no licensed specific treatment or vaccine for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola detected in Nigeria.
Pate disclosed this during an interview with Arise Television on Wednesday, adding that the infected patient was receiving supportive medical care and remained stable at the time of the interview.
He explained that researchers were exploring potential treatments and vaccines for the strain but none had been licensed for use.
“Specific treatment for this variant of Ebola virus, or a specific vaccine, is not yet licensed, approved to be used,” the minister said.
He added that the patient had received antibiotics and antiviral medication at different stages of her treatment because doctors initially suspected a viral illness before confirming Ebola.
According to Pate, the patient’s immune response might also have contributed to her condition, although he warned that her health could change as the disease progressed.
“I think we’re very fortunate that she is stable at this moment. We hope she continues to remain stable, because things can change when you have an infectious disease that you don’t fully control the course of illness,” he said.
The minister attributed the detection and management of the case to Nigeria’s healthcare infrastructure, laboratory capacity and trained health professionals.
He said public health experts and epidemiologists were working to identify and monitor people who might have been exposed to the virus.
Pate, however, stressed that the success of the response also depended on public cooperation, urging Nigerians who might have had contact with the patient to comply with instructions from health authorities.
The Federal Government confirmed Nigeria’s first reported case in the current outbreak after a woman who travelled from Uganda developed symptoms and was admitted to a private hospital in Abuja. She was subsequently diagnosed with the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention activated response measures, including contact tracing, enhanced surveillance and infection prevention efforts, while urging health facilities to remain vigilant and promptly report suspected cases.
As reported by The PUNCH, 44 contacts were initially identified for monitoring.
Anambra State also followed up 40 persons of interest, with 33 completing their monitoring period and seven remaining under active follow-up as of October 20. Ogun State was tracing 111 persons of interest.
The United States Mission in Nigeria also issued a health advisory to its citizens following the reported case, urging those who might have been exposed to seek medical guidance if symptoms developed.
Ebola spreads mainly through direct contact with the blood or other body fluids of an infected person who has developed symptoms, or through contaminated materials.
Symptoms may include fever, severe headache, weakness, muscle pain, vomiting and diarrhoea, which can resemble those of other illnesses, including malaria.
