58 quarantined in Nigeria over coronavirus contacts

Nigeria is monitoring 58 people who had contact with an Italian man infected with the new coronavirus, the health minister said yesterday, as officials scrambled to stop the disease spreading.

Africa's most populous country on Friday confirmed the first case of the virus in sub-Saharan Africa after the patient was diagnosed in the economic hub Lagos.

The Italian had arrived from Milan on a business trip a week ago and travelled to a company in neighbouring Ogun state before being diagnosed.

He was quarantined at the Infectious Disease Hospital in the sprawling city of 20 million and was responding to treatment.