KEY POINTS

• FG confirms one Ebola case in Abuja.

• Health officials identify 44 contacts for monitoring.

• Patient isolated as authorities work to prevent further spread.

The Federal Government has confirmed one case of Ebola disease in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, and identified 44 close contacts as health authorities step up efforts to prevent the virus from spreading.

The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, announced the development on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, following laboratory confirmation of the infection.

The patient, a woman who recently arrived in Nigeria on an international flight from Uganda, was admitted to a private hospital in Abuja, where she received treatment for several days before the diagnosis was confirmed. She is now in isolation and receiving medical care.

Health Authorities Intensify Containment Measures

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 begun tracing the 44 identified contacts and are working to locate other people who may have been exposed to the virus. These include healthcare workers, patients, caregivers and people who may have travelled with the patient.

Authorities have also intensified disease surveillance and are supporting the hospital where the woman was treated to strengthen infection prevention and control measures.

Healthcare facilities across Nigeria have been directed to remain alert, identify and isolate suspected cases promptly, follow strict infection control procedures and report suspected infections immediately.

The government has urged Nigerians to remain calm while taking precautions, including regular handwashing and avoiding direct contact with the blood and other body fluids of anyone suspected of having Ebola.

Symptoms include fever, severe weakness, headache, vomiting and diarrhoea. Anyone who develops these symptoms after possible exposure should avoid close contact with others and contact public health authorities for guidance before visiting a healthcare facility.

People contacted during the tracing exercise, including potentially exposed airline passengers, have also been urged to cooperate with health officials and provide the necessary information.

The case comes amid a wider regional Ebola outbreak. On October 6, the NCDC had warned about the risk of importing the virus 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. Infected people do not transmit the virus before symptoms appear, and the incubation period ranges from two to 21 days.

Nigeria previously contained an Ebola outbreak in 2014 after an infected traveller introduced the virus into the country. The response involved rapid identification and isolation of cases, contact tracing and coordinated public health interventions.

Pate said Nigeria had the experience and public health systems needed to respond to the current case but stressed that public cooperation would be essential to preventing further transmission.

The government said investigations and containment efforts were continuing, with the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease and the NCDC expected to provide further updates.

Members of the public can call the NCDC’s toll-free helpline on 6232, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for information or to report a suspected case.