Doctor Dies of Ebola In Nigeria's Oil Hub Port Harcourt

The total death toll stood at 1,552 as of Aug. 26., with 3,069 cases having been reported in the outbreak. The WHO has said the actual number in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Nigeria could already be two to four times higher.

The doctor's death in Port Harcourt came two days after Chukwu said authorities had "thus far contained" the Ebola outbreak in Africa's largest economy, with only one case left.

Port Harcourt lies at the heart of Nigeria's two million barrels per day oil industry, Africa's biggest, and is a hub for expatriate workers in major international oil companies, including Royal Dutch Shell, ENI, Total and Exxonmobil.

Nwomeh said 70 people who had been in contact with the doctor were now under surveillance in the city.

Oil Operations Impact

It was not immediately clear what impact the arrival of Ebola would have on oil operations. The majors have historically been comfortable with a fair degree of risk in the oil producing Niger Delta, including attacks on oil installations and kidnappings of expatriates.

A spokesman for leading operator Royal Dutch Shell in London said the firm was "monitoring the Ebola outbreak very closely, and liaising with health authorities on the steps being taken to contain the disease."

The only actions he wished to make public were a "health education campaign for staff and contractors."


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