The Ebola epidemic unleashed its deadly power in Guinea this March and took 660 lives of the 1,100 infected people in three countries, making it the most lethal outbreak in almost 40 years.

Last week, the Ebola outbreak took on a whole new level of might as Nigeria confirmed that Patrick Sawyer, a Liberian man who flew to Lagos from Monrovia, died of the virus on July 24. This case is alarming because the deadly virus managed to penetrate the biggest city in Africa, Quartz explained.

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Before, Ebola was limited to the rural western African countries Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone. What makes Sawyer's case scary is that he entered Lagos, one of the most densely populated cities in the world, with a confirmed Ebola infection.

Even scarier is the fact that Lagos is a major portal for international travel. Thus, if the virus is not immediately contained, it could spread globally.

As of now, Nigeria's efforts to contain the Ebola virus seem futile. Sawyer, an employee of the finance ministry in Liberia, sought the help of health authorities in Nigeria after he experienced vomiting and diarrhea amidst his three-hour trip to Lagos, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Authorities are now trying to trace an unconfirmed number of passengers who flew with Sawyer. This is a difficult feat as 35 of the Nigerian passengers exited once they heard that they were supposed to be quarantined. The federal government immediately launched a manhunt to trace the whereabouts of those passengers, Nigerian news agency Sunday Newswatch said.

The government only started screening passengers entering from other countries for the Ebola virus recently, the Tribune reported. Airport screeners encountered many problems with the process as the initial manifestations of Ebola include flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache, and stomach pain.

Dr. Lance Plyler from the Samaritan's Purse said Ebola's first symptoms are also similar to malaria, typhoid, and other diseases. The symptoms later on progress to vomiting and diarrhea, then give way to internal bleeding within one week. Nine out of ten Ebola victims die from internal organ shutdown.

Ebola is usually transmitted when mucus and blood from an infected person comes into contact with the mucus membranes or open wounds of another person. Although health workers use biohazard gear for protection, the virus managed to infect around 100 of them. Half of those medical workers, including a prominent physician, died from the virus.

Of the major cities in Africa, Lagos is among those with the highest incidence of open defecation and worst healthcare establishments. Taking into consideration the fatal efficiency of Ebola, the 35 potentially infected co-passengers of Sawyer are still at large and could be a major threat to the health and lives of the people in Lagos.

TagsGuinea, Nigeria, Patrick Sawyer, Lagos, Monrovia, Africa, quartz, Sierra Leone, Sunday Newswatch, Lance Plyler, Samaritan's Purse