Nigeria Reports First Coronavirus Case in Sub-Saharan Africa

An Italian man who traveled to Nigeria is sub-Saharan Africa's first confirmed case of coronavirus, according to health officials.

Nigeria's Federal Ministry of Health confirmed the case in a tweet. The patient is an Italian citizen who returned to Lagos after a trip to Milan on Feb. 25.

"The patient is clinically stable, with no serious symptoms, and is being managed at the Infectious Disease Hospital in Yaba, Lagos," the ministry said in a statement.

Health officials have begun identifying everyone the man could have contacted once he entered the country.

The ministry advised citizens to stay calm.

"Citizens must not abuse social media and indulge in spreading misinformation that causes fear and panic," it said.

Algeria earlier this week reported the first case on the continent – another traveler from Italy. The patient is under quarantine, according to Algerian officials.

The virus causes a disease named COVID-19. It has infected more than 83,000 people and killed nearly 2,900. Over 50 countries have reported cases of the virus, but the World Health Organization has not yet declared it a pandemic.

There are concerns that limited resources and already strained health systems in the region could help the virus take hold and spread quickly. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is already dealing with an outbreak of Ebola.