Nigerian woman who died in Abu Dhabi was Ebola negative

A 35-year-old Nigerian woman who died in Abu Dhabi on Aug. 15 after showing possible symptoms of Ebola has tested negative to the virus.

An official of Nigerian Embassy in United Arab Emirates (UAE), who spoke on the condition of anonymity, confirmed this in Abuja. According to the official, the local health authorities have already informed the mission of their findings.

On Sunday, the Nigerian woman who was travelling to India from Lagos via Abu Dhabi for cancer treatment, died in the Emirati capital.


The health of the patient, who was travelling with her husband, deteriorated while on transit and she died when medics tried to resuscitate her. Later, the Emirati health authority said the patient showed symptoms that made them fear Ebola.

Her 35-year-old husband and the five medics who had direct contact with her were isolated pending the result of the Ebola test.

“As at Aug. 17, the local authorities were still asking us to grant permission for immediate burial and we resisted that pressure because the results of the tests were unknown.

“The woman’s husband was pressured too, but we are satisfied that the results are out and the tests proved negative.”

WHO says the global death toll from Ebola virus has exceeded 1,300 from Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and five so far in Nigeria, including the Liberian-American who came here with the disease.