A suspected case of viral haemorrhagic fever reported at Nisa Premier Hospital, Abuja, has tested negative, according to Dr. Ibrahim Wada, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Nisa Medical Group.
The patient, a 32-year-old man, presented with fever, nosebleeds, vomiting blood, and passing bloody stool. He was immediately isolated on arrival, and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) was notified.
Dr. Wada confirmed that the NCDC conducted tests for Ebola, Marburg, Dengue, Lassa fever, and other viral haemorrhagic fevers, all of which came back negative.
“The index case came in yesterday, and with the symptoms presented, NCDC was immediately contacted and the patient isolated. I can confirm that the test result is negative,” he said.
The man, identified by initials O.I., is an estate developer who recently travelled to Rwanda for tourism. He reportedly began experiencing symptoms there and was advised by a physician to test for Lassa fever. After returning to Nigeria on Thursday via Rwanda Air, he went directly to Nisa Premier Hospital.
Medical records show he had sought treatment in several Rwandan hospitals over the past three weeks without improvement, despite receiving antibiotics.
The FCT Chief Epidemiologist confirmed that the FCT Rapid Response Team was activated to investigate, and samples were sent to the national reference laboratory for confirmation.
Health authorities directed the hospital to enforce strict infection prevention and control measures while assuring residents that there is no cause for panic.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), viral haemorrhagic fevers (VHFs) are a group of illnesses caused by viruses that can damage blood vessels, leading to severe bleeding. Some VHFs, such as Ebola, Marburg, Dengue, and yellow fever, may also present mild symptoms like body aches and fatigue. They are most common in parts of Africa, Asia, and South America.