Isaac Samuel
The Federal Government has confirmed a case of Ebola Virus Disease in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and commenced contact tracing to prevent further spread of the infection.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, following laboratory confirmation of the case.
According to the statement, the patient is a woman who recently arrived in Nigeria on an international flight from Uganda.
She was admitted to a private hospital in the FCT, where she received treatment for several days before the diagnosis was confirmed.
The minister said the woman had been isolated and was receiving medical care.
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, and the FCT Health Services Secretariat are working with other relevant authorities to contain the infection and prevent further transmission.
The government said public health teams had identified 44 close contacts and commenced tracing to establish whether they had been exposed to the virus.
Efforts are also underway to identify and monitor other potentially exposed persons, including healthcare workers, patients, caregivers and travel contacts.
Surveillance has been intensified, while the hospital where the patient was treated is receiving support to strengthen infection prevention and control measures.
The government urged public and private healthcare facilities nationwide to remain vigilant and maintain a high index of suspicion for suspected Ebola cases.
Healthcare workers were directed to promptly identify and isolate suspected cases, observe strict infection prevention and control protocols, and immediately report suspected infections to public health authorities.
Pate urged Nigerians to remain calm and observe preventive measures, including regular handwashing and avoiding contact with the blood or other body fluids of anyone suspected of having Ebola.
He listed symptoms to watch for as fever, severe weakness, headache, vomiting and diarrhoea, particularly among people who may have been exposed to the virus.
The statement advised anyone who develops symptoms to avoid close contact with others and contact public health authorities for guidance before visiting a healthcare facility.
The government also appealed to people contacted by public health teams during the tracing exercise, including potentially exposed airline passengers, to provide the required information and comply with official instructions.
The confirmation comes amid an evolving regional Ebola outbreak. In an advisory issued on October 6, the NCDC had raised concerns about the risk of importing the infection following a confirmed case in Kenya linked to an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The World Health Organisation says Ebola spreads through direct contact with the blood or other body fluids of infected people, as well as contaminated objects and surfaces.
People infected with the virus do not transmit it before symptoms develop, while the incubation period ranges from two to 21 days.
Nigeria previously contained an Ebola outbreak in 2014 after the disease was introduced by an infected traveller. The response involved rapid case identification, isolation, contact tracing and coordinated public health interventions.
Reassuring Nigerians, Pate said the country had the experience and public health systems required to respond to the case, but stressed that preventing further transmission would depend on public cooperation.
The Federal Government said investigations were ongoing and that the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease, alongside the NCDC, would continue to provide updates.
Members of the public can contact the NCDC’s toll-free call centre on 6232, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for information or to report a suspected case.
