Nigeria has confirmed an Ebola virus disease case in Abuja after a woman who recently travelled from Uganda tested positive, prompting federal health authorities to activate contact tracing, strengthen disease surveillance and alert healthcare facilities across the country.
According to a statement issued on October 20, 2026, and signed by Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, the patient arrived in Nigeria on an international flight from Uganda. She was admitted to a private hospital in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), where she received treatment for several days before laboratory tests confirmed the infection. She has since been transferred to an isolation facility, where she is receiving medical care.
The Federal Ministry of Health, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the FCT Health Services Secretariat have mobilised a coordinated public health response to limit the risk of further transmission. Authorities have identified 44 close contacts, including healthcare workers, caregivers, other patients and travel companions. Those identified are being monitored as public health teams work to establish whether anyone else may have been exposed.
Health officials have also increased disease surveillance and are supporting the hospital involved to reinforce infection prevention and control measures. Public and private healthcare facilities nationwide have been placed on high alert, with medical personnel instructed to watch for possible symptoms, isolate suspected cases promptly and report them to the relevant health authorities without delay.
The confirmation has renewed attention on Nigeria’s preparedness for Ebola, a serious viral disease that can cause severe illness and death. The country successfully contained an Ebola outbreak in 2014, when coordinated surveillance, contact tracing and public health interventions helped stop transmission. The government has cited that experience as an important foundation for the current response, while stressing that continued vigilance and cooperation remain necessary.
Ebola does not spread through casual contact with someone who has no symptoms. According to established public health guidance, transmission occurs through direct contact with the blood or other body fluids of an infected person who is showing symptoms, or someone who has died from the disease. Contact with contaminated materials can also spread the virus.
Early symptoms can include fever, severe weakness, headache, muscle pain and fatigue. Vomiting and diarrhoea may develop as the illness progresses. Anyone who develops symptoms after a possible exposure should seek guidance from public health authorities immediately rather than visiting a healthcare facility without prior notification.
The government has urged Nigerians to remain calm, follow verified information from official health agencies and avoid spreading unconfirmed reports that could cause unnecessary fear or stigma. Good hand hygiene and avoiding contact with the body fluids of anyone suspected of having Ebola remain important precautions.
People who believe they may have been exposed should contact health authorities for advice, even if they feel well. Anyone contacted by public health teams as part of the investigation, including passengers who travelled on the same flight as the patient, is being urged to provide accurate information and follow official instructions.
The NCDC has made its toll-free call centre available around the clock on 6232 for public inquiries, health updates and reports of suspected cases.
The immediate priority for health authorities is to monitor identified contacts, detect any additional infections quickly and prevent further transmission. The effectiveness of these measures will depend on timely reporting, cooperation from potentially exposed individuals and the ability of healthcare facilities to identify and safely manage suspected cases.
