A 34-year-old pilot and his wife, a medical doctor, were investigated for suspected Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Adamawa State, Nigeria. They developed symptoms including fever, vomiting, fatigue, headache, cough, bleeding gums, and nosebleeds. The couple was admitted to the isolation centre of the Modibbo Adama University Teaching Hospital (MAUTH) in Yola on 29 October. An internal memo from the Adamawa State Ministry of Health and Human Services, obtained by Premium Times, disclosed the incident.
The Adamawa State Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) received the report at 6:45 a.m. on 30 October, following a clinician’s report from MAUTH. The memo, signed by the State Epidemiologist, Jones Kadabiyu, revealed that the couple was isolated, and samples were collected for laboratory testing. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) later confirmed that the laboratory tests on samples from both individuals were negative for Ebola after two rounds of testing.
The NCDC had announced that two suspected Ebola cases were identified in the North-east, but did not initially disclose the state where the cases were detected. The agency later confirmed that the two suspected cases were in Adamawa State. In a statement signed by its Director-General, Jide Idris, the NCDC said it was working with the Adamawa State government to investigate the suspected cases.
According to the memo, the pilot developed symptoms on 13 October, while his wife developed similar symptoms on 25 October. A preliminary report dated 31 October from Yola North Local Government Area (LGA), Adamawa State, said the pilot travelled to Kenya “for personal reasons” on 14 October and returned to Nigeria on 25 October. He had developed a fever before his trip and was treated for malaria.
The pilot reportedly remained well while in Kenya but developed symptoms including fever, nausea, and vomiting, fatigue, headache, cough, bleeding gums, and nosebleeds upon returning to Yola. His wife subsequently developed similar symptoms after caring for him at home. The state health authorities collected samples from both patients on 30 October and transported them to the National Reference Laboratory for testing.
A total of 18 contacts were identified, traced, and line-listed, while the preliminary report dated 31 October put the number at 17. The PHEOC also notified the State Rapid Response Team, the State NCDC office, Local Government Disease Surveillance and Notification Officers, the World Health Organisation (WHO), and UNICEF. The state health authorities recommended continued contact tracing, infection prevention, and control measures.
The NCDC has urged Nigerians to remain calm and avoid spreading unverified information. Nigeria is one of five countries that have detected Bundibugyo virus disease during the current outbreak, which began in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in May. The outbreak has remained concentrated in the DRC but has spread beyond the country.
Key points
- The two suspected Ebola cases in Adamawa State, Nigeria, tested negative after two rounds of testing.
- The pilot and his wife developed symptoms including fever, vomiting, and bleeding gums after the pilot returned from Kenya.
- The NCDC has urged Nigerians to remain calm and avoid spreading unverified information amid the Ebola outbreak.
