10th Case Confirmed as Ebola Continues to Spread in Nigeria

Nigeria's commercial capital Lagos has 10 confirmed cases of Ebola, up from seven at the last count, and two patients have died, including the Liberian who brought the virus in, the health minister said on Monday.

Health officials wait to screen passengers at the arrival hall of Lagos airport. Photograph: AP

All were people who had had direct contact with Patrick Sawyer, who collapsed on arrival at Lagos airport on July 25 and later died, Health Minister Onyebuchi Chukwu said.

A nurse who had treated Sawyer without knowing what he had and did not therefore wear protective gear, also died.

"The 10th case actually was one of the nurses who also had primary contact with the index case. When he [Sawyer] got ill, we then brought her into isolation," the minister told a news conference in Abuja. "We just tested her over the weekend. So, that's what made it 10. So, between Friday and today we had one additional case. That brings it to 10 and the 10 includes the index case."

Chukwu said the nurse was undergoing treatment and her husband was under surveillance.

Sawyer was criticised for travelling to Nigeria despite being ill and under surveillance by Liberian officials because his sister had died of Ebola.

"It is unfortunate that one mad man brought Ebola to us, but we have to contain it," Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan said on Monday. "As a government we promise we will do everything possible to contain Ebola."