Nigeria Confirms Ebola Case in Abuja, 44 Contacts Identified

Nigeria has confirmed an Ebola case in Abuja following laboratory testing, with public health authorities identifying 44 close contacts for monitoring as part of efforts to prevent further transmission.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, disclosed the confirmation on Tuesday, October 20, 2026.

The patient is a woman who recently arrived in Nigeria on an international flight from Uganda and was admitted to a private hospital in the Federal Capital Territory, where she received treatment for several days before the infection was confirmed, according to details attributed to the minister’s statement.

The woman has been placed in isolation and is receiving medical care.

The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and the FCT Health Services Secretariat are coordinating the response.

Public health teams have reportedly begun tracing the 44 identified contacts while working to identify and monitor other people who may have been exposed, including healthcare workers, patients, caregivers and travel contacts.

Surveillance has also been intensified, with the hospital where the patient was treated receiving support to strengthen infection prevention and control measures.

The reported confirmation comes amid an Ebola outbreak affecting parts of Central and East Africa.

In an advisory issued on October 6, the NCDC said Kenya had confirmed an imported case of Ebola disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus, linked to an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

At the time, the agency said Nigeria had no confirmed cases and was strengthening its preparedness against the possible importation of the infection.

The October 20 confirmation represents a subsequent development in Nigeria’s response to the regional outbreak.

Ebola is a serious viral disease that can spread through direct contact with the blood or other body fluids of an infected person, or through contaminated objects and surfaces.

Symptoms can include fever, severe weakness, headache, vomiting and diarrhoea. The incubation period generally ranges from two to 21 days.

The identification and monitoring of contacts are important public health measures for determining who may have been exposed and helping to interrupt further transmission.

Nigeria previously contained an Ebola outbreak in 2014 after an infected traveller introduced the virus into the country. The response involved case identification, isolation, contact tracing and coordinated public health interventions.

The current response will depend on the effective identification of exposed people, adherence to infection prevention and control measures, and timely communication from health authorities.

Members of the public can contact the NCDC’s toll-free call centre on 6232 for public health information and guidance on reporting suspected cases.