The Federal Government has confirmed one case of Ebola disease in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and has begun contact tracing, identifying 44 close contacts in efforts to prevent further transmission.
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.
“A woman who recently arrived in Nigeria on an international flight from Uganda was admitted to a private hospital in the FCT, where she received treatment for several days before the diagnosis was confirmed,” the statement noted.
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 collaborating with other relevant authorities to contain the infection and prevent further spread.
Public health teams have started tracing the 44 identified contacts and are working to identify and monitor others who may have been exposed, including healthcare workers, patients, caregivers and travel contacts.
Surveillance has been intensified, and the hospital where the patient was treated is receiving immediate support to strengthen infection prevention and control measures.
The government has urged public and private healthcare facilities nationwide to remain on high alert.
Healthcare workers are directed to maintain a high index of suspicion, promptly identify and isolate suspected cases, observe strict infection prevention and control protocols, and immediately report any suspected infections to public health authorities.
Minister Pate advised Nigerians to remain calm while observing preventive measures, including regular handwashing and avoiding contact with the blood or other body fluids of anyone suspected of having Ebola.
Symptoms to watch for include fever, severe weakness, headache, vomiting and diarrhoea, particularly among people who may have been exposed.
“Anyone who develops symptoms should avoid close contact with others and call public health authorities for guidance before visiting a healthcare facility,” the statement advised.
People contacted by public health teams during the tracing exercise, including potentially exposed airline passengers, are urged to provide the required information and comply with official guidance.
The confirmation comes amid an evolving regional Ebola outbreak. Nigeria’s disease control agency had, in an October 6 advisory, 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.
According to the World Health Organisation, Ebola spreads through direct contact with the blood or other body fluids of infected people, or 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 contained an Ebola outbreak in 2014 after the disease was introduced by an infected traveller, through rapid case identification, isolation, contact tracing and coordinated public health interventions.
Reassuring the public, Pate said the country has the experience and public health systems required to respond to the current case, but stressed that preventing further transmission would require public cooperation.
Investigations are ongoing, and the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease, alongside the NCDC, will 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.
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