One more country on the map. On Tuesday, Nigeria's Health Ministry confirmed an Ebola case in the capital, Abuja, in a traveler who had come from East Africa. This is Ebola Watch, for Wednesday, October 21st. We've got Nigeria's case and the questions about where it started, then Kenya, where Washington just changed its travel advice.
Ope Adetayo, reporting for the Associated Press, carried by PBS NewsHour:
Nigeria confirmed an Ebola case in its capital, Abuja, on Tuesday after a woman who arrived from Uganda tested positive for the virus, the Health Ministry said.
Arrived from Uganda. Didn't Uganda declare its outbreak over? It did, and that's the disagreement here. Uganda's Health Ministry says she only transited through Uganda after a business trip to eastern Congo. Its words: travel through Uganda does not establish that infection occurred there, and the location of exposure is still under investigation. Uganda says it has no confirmed active cases. Nigerian authorities haven't said what her nationality is. So nobody has officially said where she caught it. Correct. On the timeline, WHO says her symptoms began October 7th, four days after she arrived in Nigeria, and that she went to a private health facility in Abuja on the 11th. AP says it's unclear when she arrived. Either way, she's in isolation and receiving care. Symptoms on the 7th, a positive test on the 20th. That's a long gap. It is, and it's why the number to watch is 44. Health Minister Muhammad Pate says that's how many contacts they're tracing. Newsweek notes that one imported case doesn't establish community transmission in Nigeria. What matters is whether anyone among those 44 tests positive. Has Nigeria been through this before? In the 2014 to 2016 West Africa outbreak, Nigeria recorded 20 cases, and its outbreak was declared over after three months. It set up an Ebola task force this June. Meanwhile, Congo's bulletin for October 18th counts 9,552 confirmed cases and 4,602 deaths, a case fatality rate of about 48 percent.
Kanishka Singh, writing for Reuters, carried by CNBC Africa:
The US State Department said on Monday it has asked Americans to reconsider any travel to Kenya and raised its travel advisory for the African nation due to health risks.
On Monday I said somebody in Washington would get asked about Kenya. Looks like they were. Level 2 to Level 3? Level 3 is reconsider travel. The advisory also lists crime, terrorism and other risks, but the embassy says this change was driven by health. It warns that medical services in Kenya are limited, especially in rural areas. And the case count has moved since we last talked. On Monday we reported seven. Reuters says an eighth was confirmed Sunday, and on Tuesday the Health Ministry confirmed a ninth, a close family member of the first patient who was already in quarantine. Director-General for Health Patrick Amoth says all nine cases belong to one cluster, with no evidence of transmission outside it. Kenya has identified 135 contacts, and 134 are in quarantine. Okay, here's my problem. The State Department says reconsider. What does CDC say? According to the Daily Mail, CDC has issued a Level 1 travel health notice for Kenya, meaning travelers should practice precautions. And WHO told Newsweek it advises against any restriction of travel to, or trade with, Congo, Uganda or Kenya based on the information currently available. Three agencies, three different answers. So if I'm booked for Nairobi? You're weighing a State Department Level 3 advisory and a CDC Level 1 notice. Both are real, and they measure different things. CDC says the risk to the American public and to travelers remains low. One date to watch: the first group of Kenyan contacts is due to finish its 21-day quarantine this Sunday, October 25th. If they all clear it, that's the best news Kenya could get. WHO also says a new risk assessment for Kenya and other countries is underway, so that could shift the picture again.
If you've got a minute, leave Ebola Watch a rating or a short review wherever you're listening. It's the best way for the next worried traveler to find us.
Tomorrow, Thursday, we'll be watching for test results from Nigeria's 44 contacts and for anything new from Kenya's cluster. This has been Ebola Watch, part of the Lantern Podcasts family. Stay well, and we'll talk tomorrow.