Switzerland has confirmed receiving Nigeria’s index Ebola patient and her husband, who accompanied her during her evacuation from Abuja, with the woman receiving treatment in Geneva and her husband placed in isolation in Zurich.
The 42-year-old woman, who was diagnosed with the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus disease, was evacuated from Nigeria on Monday aboard a medical aircraft arranged by the Federal Government.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Ali Pate, said before her evacuation that the patient’s condition had improved significantly. He described her as clinically stable, conscious and able to communicate, with her laboratory test results approaching baseline levels.
In a statement on Monday, the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) disclosed that the patient was receiving treatment at Geneva University Hospital (HUG), while her husband, regarded as a close contact, had been placed in isolation at Zurich University Hospital (USZ).
The Swiss authorities said the situation posed no public health risk to the country, noting that both hospitals had the facilities and expertise required to manage infectious diseases such as Ebola while protecting healthcare workers and other patients.
They added that the hospitals had specialised isolation wards and trained medical personnel to handle such infections.
“The current situation does not pose any risk to public health in Switzerland,” the FOPH said.
According to the statement, the federal public health agency was working closely with the university hospitals in Geneva and Zurich, alongside the relevant cantonal authorities, to coordinate the response.
Switzerland’s Federal Councillor, Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, expressed appreciation to Nigeria’s health minister during a telephone conversation following the evacuation.
Baume-Schneider thanked Nigerian doctors and other healthcare professionals for caring for the two Swiss nationals before their transfer to Switzerland.
She also commended the Nigerian government and the World Health Organisation (WHO) for their cooperation in facilitating the evacuation.
In response, Pate thanked the clinical and public health teams in both countries, as well as the WHO team in Nigeria, for their collaboration.
The minister said contact monitoring, investigation of alerts and other containment measures were continuing in Nigeria.
He also wished the patient a continued recovery as health authorities in both countries maintained measures to manage the case and monitor potential exposure.