Nigeria’s Ebola Virus Genetically Linked to Kenya’s Index Case, Says Pate

Nigeria’s Ebola virus disease case has been found to be genetically related to the virus identified in Kenya, according to genomic analysis disclosed by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate.

Pate made the disclosure on Friday during a press briefing in Abuja, while stressing that investigators had yet to establish any travel link between Nigeria’s case and Kenya’s index case.

The minister explained that laboratory investigations showed similarities between the viruses, although the findings did not conclusively establish how the infection reached Nigeria.

“We have had additional information on the isolated case from the imported virus,” Pate said, noting that the analysis was conducted through laboratories at the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and Professor Christian Happi’s laboratory at Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State.

According to him, the genomic findings indicate a close relationship between the virus detected in Nigeria and the one identified in Kenya.

However, Pate cautioned that the available evidence does not establish a direct transmission route between the two countries.

He added that further scientific findings could alter current understanding of the virus’s transmission, explaining that genetic changes in viruses occur over time.

The minister said the government was making the new information public as part of its commitment to keeping Nigerians informed about developments surrounding the Ebola situation.

Meanwhile, the Director-General of the NCDC, Jide Idris, has called for collective action by the government and the public to prevent the spread of the disease.

Idris emphasised that compliance with basic public health precautions remains essential, particularly maintaining personal and environmental hygiene and washing hands regularly.

He noted that Nigeria’s experience during the 2014 Ebola outbreak demonstrated the importance of sustained public awareness and strict adherence to preventive measures.

The NCDC chief explained that Ebola transmission involves contact, making hygiene practices and other recommended preventive measures critical to reducing the risk of infection.

He urged Nigerians to maintain the precautions adopted during previous public health emergencies, stressing that effective disease control depends on cooperation between health authorities and members of the public.