Nigeria steps up Ebola surveillance, tracks 44 contacts in Abuja

Nigeria has intensified efforts to prevent further Ebola transmission by identifying 44 contacts for monitoring and strengthening disease surveillance following confirmation of an imported case in Abuja.

The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare confirmed the case on October 20, 2026, after laboratory tests detected Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease in a woman with a recent travel history involving Uganda.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the patient developed symptoms on October 7 and sought care at a private health facility in Abuja on October 11. She is receiving medical care in isolation.

The Federal Government, through the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), is working with the FCT Health Services Secretariat and other relevant authorities to prevent further transmission.

Health authorities have identified 44 contacts for monitoring, including healthcare workers, patients, caregivers and travel contacts, as investigations continue to establish the likely source of infection.

The government has also urged healthcare facilities nationwide to remain vigilant, promptly identify and isolate suspected cases, observe strict infection-prevention measures and report suspected infections to public-health authorities.

Nigeria's experience in containing the 2014 Ebola outbreak provides a foundation for its current response, particularly in early detection, contact tracing and coordinated public-health action.