By Camillus Eboh and George Obulutsa
ABUJA, Oct 23 (Reuters) – Genomic analysis of Nigeria’s only confirmed Ebola case shows the virus is closely related to the strain detected in Kenya’s index case, Nigeria’s health minister Muhammad Ali Pate said on Friday, offering the first genetic link between the outbreaks.
Nigerian authorities said there is no evidence that the Kenya index case traveled to Nigeria or had a direct connection to the Nigerian case.
• Pate said contacts linked to the case are being traced, quarantined and tested, with some results negative and others still pending
• Nigeria has recorded only one confirmed Ebola case from a traveller who had visited Uganda
• Uganda, which borders the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and has previously battled Ebola outbreaks, said on Friday it remained Ebola-free but was tightening precautions
• Uganda’s health ministry said traveller locator forms had been reinstated for all arrivals, regardless of country of origin
• Uganda said travellers with a history of travel to the DRC, where the outbreak began, will not be permitted to transit the country
(Reporting by Camillus Eboh; Writing by Elisha Bala-Gbogbo; editing by David Gaffen)
