The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has sent a team of experts to Nigeria as an Ebola outbreak spreads across parts of Africa, with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) reporting more than 10,000 cases.
The European agency announced the deployment on Tuesday, saying the team would provide technical advice and support to the European Union Delegation in Abuja. The move comes as health authorities monitor the spread of the disease beyond its original outbreak area and strengthen measures to identify infections and prevent further transmission.
Led by an ECDC senior epidemic intelligence expert, the team has offered to assist Nigerian authorities with disease surveillance, contact tracing, infection prevention and control, and emergency preparedness and response.
The outbreak began in DR Congo in May 2026 and has since spread to Uganda, Kenya and Nigeria, according to the information provided by the agency. The development has increased the need for cross-border coordination as affected countries work to identify cases, monitor exposed individuals and limit further transmission.
The ECDC’s latest figures show the scale of the outbreak in DR Congo. As of 26 October, the country had recorded 10,060 confirmed cases and 4,887 related deaths, based on data available through 25 October. Community transmission remains ongoing, and the agency warned that gaps in case reporting and contact follow-up mean the actual scale of the outbreak could be greater than the figures indicate.
Kenya has also reported a growing number of infections. According to the ECDC, nine confirmed cases, including two deaths, had been recorded by 26 October. All were linked to the first confirmed case, which was reported on 6 October. The subsequent infections included people who had been in close contact with the initial patient, highlighting the importance of monitoring exposed individuals and identifying symptoms quickly.
Nigeria confirmed its first case in the current outbreak on 20 October. The patient had travelled from Uganda and developed symptoms on 7 October before seeking medical care four days later. After testing positive, the individual was placed under medical care and subsequently evacuated to Switzerland. Nigerian health authorities began tracing contacts, while the country’s incident management system was activated to coordinate the response.
The ECDC has deployed specialists to support the regional response before. In May, experts were sent to assist the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency also supported assessments of airport exit screening in DR Congo and Uganda and deployed experts to other locations, including South Sudan. Its work has involved coordination with African public health agencies, the World Health Organization and European institutions.
Despite the spread of cases across several African countries, the ECDC assesses the risk to the general population in the European Union and European Economic Area as very low. For people from those regions living in or travelling to affected areas in Kenya and Nigeria, the risk is considered low, provided recommended precautions are followed. The agency has not recommended travel restrictions to or from either country.
The agency says European countries should nevertheless remain prepared to identify and manage imported cases. That includes ensuring healthcare workers understand the symptoms, laboratories can test suspected infections and hospitals can safely isolate and treat patients. The ECDC also advises travellers to affected areas to follow local health guidance and seek appropriate medical advice if symptoms develop after a possible exposure.
The deployment to Nigeria adds European technical support to a response that increasingly depends on timely detection, contact tracing and cooperation between national health authorities. With community transmission continuing in DR Congo and infections confirmed elsewhere, monitoring the outbreak and responding quickly to new cases remain central to limiting further spread.
