Ebola: Africa CDC Promises to Keep Patient Details Private During Contact Tracing

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has promised that personal details of patients will stay private during the current Ebola control efforts. This is as officials try to trace people who may have come into contact with the virus.

Wessam Mankoula, an epidemiologist and the agency's Director of Emergency Preparedness and Response, shared this information during a virtual press briefing on Thursday. He explained that only authorised investigators who are doing contact tracing will have access to patients' information.

He stated that this information would not be made public. He highlighted how crucial it is to protect patients' privacy during investigations of outbreaks.

This reassurance comes after the Nigerian government confirmed an Ebola case in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Tuesday.

The patient is a woman who arrived in Nigeria recently on an international flight from Uganda. She is currently getting medical care in isolation at a private hospital in the FCT.

Mr Mankoula mentioned that Nigeria's National Reference Laboratory confirmed the case is linked to the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus.

He added that 44 high-risk contacts have been identified. The government is working to find others who might have been exposed.

Contact tracing means finding and keeping an eye on people who may have been in touch with someone who is infected. This helps spot any possible infections early and reduces the risk of spreading the virus.

Mr Mankoula also noted that investigators are looking into a possible connection between the Nigerian case and a situation in Kenya. Both individuals traveled through Entebbe International Airport in Uganda on 3 October.

He stressed that this possible link is still under investigation and has not been confirmed yet.

Mr Mankoula stated that Africa CDC is collaborating with partners, including the WHO, to improve disease monitoring and support readiness efforts. This includes providing testing supplies at border areas close to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Nigeria's case comes during an Ebola outbreak in the DRC involving the Bundibugyo virus.

According to data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the DRC had reported 9,552 confirmed cases and 4,602 deaths related to Ebola as of 19 October, based on information available up to 18 October.

This outbreak has affected 66 of the 178 health zones in the DRC, with Ituri province being the most impacted.

These events have raised worries about the spread of Ebola across borders. There is a growing need for countries to boost monitoring, lab testing, and coordination to quickly identify suspected cases.

Africa CDC continues to collaborate with national health authorities and international partners to support outbreak response efforts and prevent further transmission.