FG confirms Ebola case in Abuja, traces 44 contacts
The Federal Government has confirmed one case of Ebola disease in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and begun tracing 44 people who may have been exposed to the virus.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, announced the development on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, following laboratory confirmation of the infection. The patient is a woman who recently arrived in Nigeria on an international flight from Uganda.
According to the minister, the woman was admitted to a private hospital in the FCT, where she received treatment for several days before the infection was confirmed. She is currently in isolation and receiving medical care as health authorities work to prevent further transmission.
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 identified 44 close contacts and are working to trace and monitor them, including healthcare workers, patients, caregivers and people who may have been exposed during travel.
Meanwhile, surveillance has been intensified, and the hospital where the patient was treated is receiving support to strengthen infection prevention and control measures. The government has directed public and private healthcare facilities nationwide to remain vigilant, promptly isolate suspected cases and report them to the appropriate public health authorities.
Pate urged Nigerians to remain calm and observe preventive measures, including regular handwashing and avoiding contact with the blood and other body fluids of suspected or confirmed cases. Symptoms of Ebola include fever, severe weakness, headache, vomiting and diarrhoea. Anyone who develops such symptoms, particularly after possible exposure, should avoid close contact with others and contact public health authorities for guidance.
The confirmation comes amid an ongoing Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with cases also reported in Kenya. The World Health Organisation has documented cross-border transmission linked to the outbreak, underscoring the risk of imported infections. Ebola spreads through direct contact with the blood or other body fluids of infected people, or contaminated objects, and symptoms can develop between two and 21 days after exposure.
Nigeria successfully contained an Ebola outbreak in 2014 through rapid case detection, isolation, contact tracing and coordinated public health interventions. The government said investigations into the latest case were continuing and urged people contacted by health officials, including potentially exposed travellers, to cooperate with the tracing exercise. Members of the public can call the NCDC’s toll-free line, 6232, for information or to report a suspected case.
