Nigeria Ebola patient flown to Switzerland, Congo health worker killed as 4 countries deal with outbreak
Number of confirmed cases nears 10,000 amid efforts to halt spread of deadly virus
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Number → fly → virus
Officials on opposite sides of the African continent are trying to determine how a woman diagnosed with Ebola in Nigeria's capital last week contracted the deadly virus without having visited the Democratic Republic of Congo — the epicentre of one of the worst human outbreaks of the virus in history.
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woman → try → history
The woman, an Ugandan-born Swiss citizen, was transported on a medical evacuation flight from Abuja to Switzerland on Monday, as questions linger about how she may have contracted the virus while visiting Uganda.
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she → bear → Uganda
Meanwhile, a health-care worker in the D.R.C. is dead after being attacked over the weekend, as the outbreak continues to spread and claim more lives.
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outbreak → attack → lives
D.R.C.'s Health Ministry's most recent data indicates more than 9,800 cases, including more than 4,700 deaths, have been recorded since the start of the outbreak in May, making it the deadliest Ebola outbreak in the country's history.
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it → indicate → history
Here's a look at the latest developments in the four countries that have been affected by the Ebola outbreak.
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that → affect → outbreak
Nurse killed in Democratic Republic of Congo
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Nurse → kill → Congo
A nurse was killed and a health worker severely injured after being attacked while responding to an Ebola alert in D.R.C., according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
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worker → kill → Organization
It was the latest in a series of attacks on health workers and responders that authorities say is hampering efforts to slow the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak in the world.
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authorities → say → world
The attack took place Saturday in the town of Bafwasende in the country's eastern Tshopo province, one of eight provinces affected by the outbreak, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a post on X on Sunday.
Doctors Without Borders physicians treat a patient inside the Kitatumba Ebola treatment centre in Butembo, D.R.C., on Sept. 23.
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physicians → take → Sept.
Fears of a pan-African Ebola crisis growing as fourth country reports first case
Democratic Republic of Congo's Ebola outbreak is now the deadliest in its history
"
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outbreak → grow → history
Everyone working to protect communities from this deadly disease must be able to work in dignity and safety.
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Everyone → work → dignity
Healthcare must always be protected," he said.
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he → protect → ?
WHO regional director for Africa, Dr. Mohamed Yakub Janabi, also condemned the attack on X.
"Misinformation and fear must never fuel violence," he said.
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he → condemn → violence
Local authorities have not yet commented on the attack or the suspects.
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authorities → comment → attack
Last month, a Congolese politician was beaten to death in North Kivu — a war-torn province that that has the second-highest number of confirmed cases but the highest fatality ratio.
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that → beat → cases
It happened after he publicly defended the government's response to Ebola.
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he → happen → Ebola
He had been calling on the public to obey response measures, particularly social distancing and handwashing, on a radio show.
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He → call → show
Back in May at the start of the outbreak, two tents at health centres were set alight in two separate attacks in just one week by angry residents.
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tents → set → residents
There is widespread distrust of the country's government because of how it has managed past Ebola outbreaks as well as chronic corruption.
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it → be → outbreaks
In a positive development, Ghebreyesus shared news from a treatment clinic in Ituri province, which has recorded the highest number of confirmed cases since the outbreak began.
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outbreak → share → cases
In a post on X, he shared a video from the community of Mongbwalu showing health workers dancing as they discharged their two remaining patients and noted that no new positive cases had been confirmed at the clinic in the past five days.
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cases → share → days
Ebola patient flown from Nigeria to Switzerland
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patient → fly → Switzerland
The Swiss woman being treated for Ebola in Nigeria was medically evacuated to Switzerland with her husband Monday, officials said, as Nigerian authorities continued monitoring 52 people who had been in contact with her.
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who → treat → her
Nigerian Health Minister Muhammad Pate said the woman, the country's first case in the current outbreak, left the capital, Abuja, early Monday with his approval.
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woman → say → approval
Her condition had improved significantly, and she was stable, conscious and able to communicate, he said.
"This does not mean she is not still infectious, hence the strict protocols in place," Pate wrote on X.
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Pate → improve → place
Her husband, a Swiss diplomat in Nigeria, has shown no symptoms.
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husband → show → symptoms
He later confirmed the couple arrived safely in Switzerland and the woman is receiving care in Geneva, while her husband is in isolation at a hospital in Zurich.
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husband → confirm → Zurich
The WHO's Janabi, said the evacuation was arranged because the couple are Swiss citizens and that Nigerian medical teams had stabilized the woman after treating her through the acute phase of the illness.
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teams → say → illness
Switzerland will take over her care and monitor her husband, while Nigeria will continue following 52 other contacts, Janabi said.
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Janabi → take → contacts
"With the evacuation of the patient and her husband, Nigeria currently has no Ebola cases," he said, stressing that vigilance remained critical.
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vigilance → have → cases
Pate said containment measures remained in place and urged Nigerians to remain vigilant.
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measures → say → Nigerians
The woman tested positive after returning to Abuja from Uganda.
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woman → test → Uganda
Nigerian authorities said Friday they had yet to establish how she contracted the virus.
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she → say → virus
Switzerland's Foreign Ministry told The Associated Press that she had not visited D.R.C. and was believed to have been infected while travelling to Uganda with her husband.
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she → tell → husband
The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the first patients in Nigeria and Kenya had both travelled through Uganda's Entebbe International Airport on Oct. 3.
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patients → say → Oct.
Travellers stand next to a banner displayed by a health screening station at Nigeria's Murtala Muhammed International Airport, in Lagos, following reports of an Ebola case in the country last week.
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Travellers → stand → country
Uganda implements quarantine rules
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Uganda → implement → rules
Uganda says it is investigating the Nigerian case, but insists the country remains Ebola-free after declaring an end to its latest outbreak in July.
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country → say → July
But the government is reinforcing border controls to stop the spread of the deadly Ebola virus and now requires citizens returning from neighboring D.R.C. to spend 21 days in quarantine at their own expense, the Health Ministry said Sunday.
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Ministry → reinforce → expense
…and 15 more, not listed.
The Aporia
