Gefährliche Viruserkrankung: Ebola-Patientin von Nigeria in die Schweiz evakuiert

The first Ebola-infected patient from Nigeria has been evacuated to Switzerland, confirmed Nigerian Health Minister Muhammad Ali Pate. The Swiss woman, accompanied by her husband - a Swiss diplomat, departed Abuja on Monday morning in a specially equipped aircraft, following strict protective measures, Pate wrote on X. The minister did not disclose where the woman will be treated in Switzerland.

She is clinically much better, Pate stated, adding that she is stable, conscious, and communicative. However, this does not mean she is no longer infectious, warned the minister. The exact location of infection remains unknown. On October 20th, Nigeria's most populous state confirmed the first Ebola case. The patient, born in Uganda, reportedly traveled from Uganda to the eastern African country of Uganda on a plane.

Uganda borders the Democratic Republic of Congo to the west, where around 10,000 Ebola cases and nearly 5,000 deaths were reported since mid-May. Where the woman contracted Ebola is under investigation by the Africa CDC. In Uganda, there have been a total of 20 confirmed Ebola cases since the outbreak began, all linked to a patient from the Democratic Republic of Congo, with two deaths.

However, Uganda declared the end of its Ebola outbreak at the end of August, after more than 42 days without a new case. Kenya, which also borders Uganda to the east, still has active Ebola cases. The first patient arrived from the Democratic Republic of Congo via Uganda to Kenya. Currently, Nairobi reports nine Ebola cases, including two deaths.