FG Confirms Ebola Case In Abuja, Begins Tracing of 44 Contacts
The Federal Government has confirmed a case of Ebola disease in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, with health authorities identifying 44 close contacts and launching an extensive contact-tracing exercise to prevent further transmission.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, announced the development in a statement on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, following laboratory confirmation of the infection.
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 disease was confirmed.
The woman is currently in isolation and 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 working with other relevant authorities to contain the outbreak and prevent further spread.
Public health teams have begun tracing the 44 identified contacts while expanding investigations to identify and monitor other individuals who may have been exposed to the virus. These include healthcare workers, patients, caregivers and people who may have had contact with the woman during her journey.
Authorities have also intensified disease surveillance and are providing immediate support to the hospital where the patient was treated to strengthen infection prevention and control measures.
The Federal Government has urged public and private healthcare facilities nationwide to remain vigilant. Healthcare workers have been directed to maintain a high index of suspicion, promptly identify and isolate suspected cases, adhere strictly to infection prevention protocols and immediately report suspected infections to public health authorities.
Pate called on Nigerians to remain calm and observe basic preventive measures, including regular handwashing and avoiding direct contact with the blood and other body fluids of anyone suspected of having Ebola.
Symptoms of the disease include fever, severe weakness, headache, vomiting and diarrhoea, particularly in individuals who may have been exposed to the virus.
The minister advised anyone who develops suspicious symptoms to avoid close contact with others and contact public health authorities for guidance before visiting a healthcare facility.
He also appealed to individuals contacted by public health teams during the tracing exercise, including potentially exposed airline passengers, to cooperate with officials, provide the necessary information and comply with public health instructions.
The confirmation comes amid concerns about the spread of Ebola in parts of Africa. In an advisory issued on October 6, the NCDC had warned about the risk of importing the infection following a confirmed case in Kenya linked to an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
According to the World Health Organisation, Ebola spreads through direct contact with the blood or other body fluids of infected people, as well as contaminated objects and surfaces. Infected individuals do not transmit the virus before symptoms develop, and the incubation period ranges from two to 21 days.
Nigeria previously recorded an Ebola outbreak in 2014 after an infected traveller introduced the virus into the country. Authorities successfully contained the outbreak through rapid case identification, isolation, contact tracing and coordinated public health interventions.
Reassuring Nigerians, Pate said the country had the experience and public health systems necessary to respond to the current case. However, he emphasised that public cooperation would be crucial to preventing further transmission.
The Federal Government said investigations were ongoing and that the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease, in collaboration with the NCDC, would continue to provide updates as the situation develops.
Members of the public can contact the NCDC’s toll-free call centre on 6232, which operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for information or to report a suspected case.
