UGANDA DENIES ACTIVE EBOLA CASES, SEEKS DETAILS FROM NIGERIA ON INFECTED WOMAN

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Uganda’s Ministry of Health has said the country has no confirmed active Ebola cases, adding that it is seeking detailed information from Nigeria about the travel history of a Nigerian woman who tested positive for the disease.

The ministry disclosed this in a statement issued in Kampala on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, saying the woman had travelled to the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for business before transiting through Uganda in early October.

According to the statement, preliminary information indicated that the woman showed no symptoms while in Uganda but developed them after arriving in Nigeria, where her Ebola infection was subsequently confirmed.

The Ugandan government stressed that her transit through the country did not establish that she contracted the virus there, noting that the source of infection remained under investigation.

“The location of exposure remains under investigation,” the statement said.

The ministry added that the Nigerian government had yet to provide detailed information about the woman’s travel itinerary and clinical history, which it said would assist further investigations and determine whether additional contact tracing was necessary.

The development follows the Federal Government’s confirmation of an Ebola case in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Tuesday after laboratory tests confirmed the infection.

Nigerian authorities said the patient had recently arrived in the country on an international flight from Uganda and was admitted to a private hospital in the FCT, where she received treatment for several days.

The differing accounts have raised the need for further clarification of the woman’s movements and possible exposure to the virus. While Nigerian authorities identified Uganda as her immediate point of departure, the Ugandan ministry said she had travelled to the eastern DRC before transiting through the country.

The Ugandan ministry said it would work with relevant agencies to strengthen screening and public health measures at entry points, while urging residents to remain calm and vigilant.

It also advised the public to maintain regular handwashing and sanitising practices, adding that verified updates would be communicated through its official channels.

Ebola is a severe viral disease that can spread through direct contact with the blood or other bodily fluids of an infected person who is showing symptoms, as well as through contaminated materials.

Early identification, isolation, contact tracing and strict infection prevention measures are critical to limiting transmission.