FG CONFIRMS EBOLA CASE IN ABUJA, BEGINS TRACING 44 CONTACTS
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
The Federal Government has confirmed one case of Ebola disease in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and commenced contact tracing after identifying 44 people who may have been exposed to 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 and was admitted to a private hospital in the FCT, where she received treatment for several days before the diagnosis 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, and the FCT Health Services Secretariat are collaborating with other relevant authorities to contain the infection and prevent further transmission.
The government said public health teams had begun tracing the 44 identified contacts and were working to identify and monitor other potentially exposed individuals, including healthcare workers, patients, caregivers and travel contacts.
Surveillance has also been intensified, while the hospital where the patient was treated is receiving immediate support to strengthen infection prevention and control measures.
The government urged public and private healthcare facilities nationwide to remain on high alert, directing healthcare workers to maintain a high index of suspicion, promptly identify and isolate suspected cases, adhere to strict infection prevention and control protocols, and immediately report suspected infections to public health authorities.
Pate advised 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 infection.
“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.
The government also urged individuals contacted by public health teams during the tracing exercise, including potentially exposed airline passengers, to provide the required information and comply with official guidance.
The reported case comes amid concerns about Ebola transmission in the region. The NCDC had, in an October 6 advisory, warned of 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 people do not transmit the virus before symptoms develop, while the incubation period ranges from two to 21 days.
Nigeria previously contained an Ebola outbreak in 2014 after an infected traveller introduced the disease into the country. The response involved rapid case identification, isolation, contact tracing and coordinated public health interventions.
Pate said Nigeria had the experience and public health systems needed to respond to the reported case, but stressed that preventing further transmission would require 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 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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