By Fatima Saka
Nigeria has identified 44 contacts for monitoring following the confirmation of an imported case of Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as health authorities intensify efforts to prevent further transmission.
The World Health Organization (WHO) disclosed this in a news release issued on October 20, 2026, following laboratory confirmation of the infection in a woman who recently travelled from Uganda.
WHO said the patient’s symptoms began on October 7, four days after her arrival in Nigeria. She sought medical attention at a private health facility in Abuja on October 11, before laboratory tests confirmed the infection on October 20.
The woman is currently in isolation and receiving medical care, while investigations are ongoing to establish the likely source of her infection and reconstruct her full travel and exposure history.
Nigeria has become the fifth country to detect the virus since an outbreak of Ebola Bundibugyo disease was declared in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on May 15, 2026.
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare said efforts were underway to identify additional people who might have been exposed to the virus, while infection prevention and control measures were being strengthened at the private health facility where the patient initially sought treatment.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has activated its incident management system to coordinate the national response.
WHO said rapid identification of cases, timely contact tracing and effective infection prevention and control measures were critical to containing the outbreak.
The agency and its partners are supporting Nigerian health authorities with case investigations, contact tracing, infection prevention and control, and the provision of essential supplies, including personal protective equipment for healthcare workers.
WHO also urged countries across the region to strengthen disease surveillance and emergency preparedness as the outbreak in the DRC continues to evolve.
It cited Kenya, which has reported nine cases linked to an imported infection in recent weeks, as a reason for heightened vigilance across the region.
The organisation advised countries to ensure laboratories can safely test suspected cases, keep rapid-response and clinical teams ready for immediate deployment, and reinforce infection prevention measures in both public and private health facilities.
It further called for adequate supplies of protective equipment, active community engagement and enhanced monitoring at points of entry to ensure early detection and a coordinated response.
WHO stressed that sustained preparedness was necessary to detect cases early, prevent further transmission and protect healthcare workers and communities.
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However, the agency advised against imposing travel or trade restrictions on affected countries, adding that it would continue to monitor developments and review relevant travel and trade measures as necessary.
The organisation said its risk assessment would be regularly updated to reflect new developments in the outbreak.
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