Ebola outbreak may soon be over in Nigeria

With no new cases since August 31 and remaining identified potential patients nearing end of follow up checks Nigeria, whose outbreak was far smaller than neighbouring countries, close to declaring end of deadly outbreak

Microscopic view of the Ebola virus Photo: Frederick Murphy/CDC/PA

AFP

1:37AM BST 01 Oct 2014

The Ebola outbreak in Nigeria is almost over, US health officials said on Tuesday, in a rare sign of authorities turning the tide on the highly contagious disease that has killed more than 3,000 in West Africa.

But in a fresh setback to the global fight against the virus, the United States almost simultaneously said an Ebola case had been diagnosed there for the first time in a man who became infected in Liberia and travelled to Texas.

The virus's incubation period is 21 days and after two of these periods have passed without any new cases, officials can declare an outbreak over.

Therefore, since there have been no new cases in Nigeria since August 31, the country should be able to announce a formal end to its outbreak on October 12, a spokesman for the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

Meanwhile, the last three people monitored due to potential exposure to an Ebola patient will end their 21 days of follow-up for signs of symptoms later this week.