Health Officials Investigate Potential Ebola Exposure Links at Uganda Airport

The Kenyan national traveled from the Democratic Republic of the Congo via Uganda, arriving in Nairobi on October 3. He subsequently succumbed to the virus, marking Kenya’s first Ebola fatality in the ongoing outbreak.

Despite both patients transiting through Entebbe Airport on the same date, health authorities have yet to confirm whether they encountered one another, shared facilities, or had any direct contact.

During a Thursday press briefing, Mankoula stated that determining any potential interaction between the two cases at the airport remains a primary investigation focus.

Authorities are also investigating whether the two infections share a common source.

The World Health Organization noted that it is too early to determine where the Nigerian woman contracted the virus.

Dr. Patrick Otim, a WHO emergency response official, said the exposure source remains unidentified and the patient’s travel history is still being pieced together.

Officials have struggled to obtain a complete account of her movements, as interview opportunities were limited while she remained hospitalized.

Nigeria’s Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) is conducting genomic sequencing to determine whether this case is linked to other infections.

Dr. Pavel Ursu, WHO Representative in Nigeria, stated that the investigation is reconstructing the full travel and exposure history, and that genomic sequencing is given high priority.

Ugandan health officials previously said the woman traveled to eastern DR Congo for business, where the current Ebola outbreak began.

However, the WHO, Africa CDC, and Nigeria’s health ministry say they have not received verified information confirming she visited the country.

Uganda maintains no confirmed active Ebola cases and clarifies that the woman’s transit through its territory does not necessarily mean she contracted the virus there.

Africa CDC reported that Nigeria has identified additional people who may have been exposed to the woman beyond the 44 contacts initially reported.

Most of those contacts are healthcare workers at facilities where the case is being treated, with a few family members also under monitoring, Mankoula told journalists on Thursday.

Nigerian authorities are working to identify and quarantine those considered at high risk, though they have not released an updated figure pending government findings.

The country’s position is to place high-risk contacts under quarantine, he added.

Dr. Ursu said the woman is receiving a high standard of clinical care and that her condition is stable.

In Kenya, the first group of people quarantined after possible Ebola exposure will begin returning home on Sunday after completing 21 days of monitoring without developing symptoms.

Health Director-General Dr. Patrick Amoth said all nine confirmed infections are linked to the first patient, with no evidence of wider community transmission.

He warned that they are not out of the woods, urging the public to remain vigilant without panicking.

The remaining eight patients remain in isolation and are responding well to treatment.

The developments have renewed concerns about the movement of infected people across international borders, particularly between the DR Congo and neighbouring Uganda, where thousands cross daily for trade, work, and family visits.

Dr. Otim warned that the long and porous border between the two countries makes it difficult to screen everyone entering or leaving, as many use unofficial crossing points.

Dr. Mohamed Janabi, WHO’s regional director for Africa, called for regional vigilance and urged countries to strengthen surveillance, investigate infections, and protect frontline health workers.

Ebola is a serious viral disease that spreads through direct contact with the blood or other bodily fluids of an infected person, or with contaminated objects. It does not spread through the air like flu.

The virus can cause fever, severe weakness, vomiting and diarrhoea, and can be fatal. People are not considered infectious before they develop symptoms.

Health authorities say tracing contacts quickly, isolating suspected cases and providing early treatment are crucial to preventing further transmission.

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