Nigerian woman, 35, died while traveling from Nigeria to India for medical treatment of advanced metastatic cancer.
The woman showed signs consistent with the Ebola virus, according to the Health Authority – Abu Dhabi (HAAD), the regulatory body of the healthcare sector in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, who announced the death yesterday.
During the transit phase at Abu Dhabi International Airport, the patient’s health deteriorated and despite prompt medical assistance she could not be successfully resuscitated, HAAD said in a statement.
‘’Full safety and precautionary measures have been taken by the medical staff who attended the patient, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) standards for dealing with suspected cases of infectious diseases,’’ the statement added.
The woman’s husband, the only person sitting next to her on the plane, and five medics who resuscitated her, are in isolation pending the result of Ebola testing on the patient. They are all well with no symptoms, HAAD said.
The ministry of health would like to assure the public that there is no risk to the community, and that fellow passengers on the plane from Nigeria and in the airport were not at risk.