The Federal Government has confirmed a case of Ebola disease in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, after laboratory tests returned positive on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, prompting an emergency public health response to prevent further transmission.
The patient, a woman who recently arrived in Nigeria on an international flight from Uganda, is currently in isolation and receiving medical care at a private hospital in the FCT, according to the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate.
The minister said health authorities had identified 44 close contacts and commenced contact tracing to determine who may have been exposed to the infection.
The contacts include healthcare workers, patients, caregivers and people who travelled with the patient. Public health teams are continuing efforts to identify and monitor others who may have had contact with her.
Pate said the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), the FCT Health Services Secretariat and other relevant agencies were coordinating efforts to contain the case.
The private hospital where the woman received treatment is also receiving support to strengthen infection prevention and control measures, while surveillance activities have been intensified.
The Federal Government has directed public and private healthcare facilities nationwide to remain on high alert. Healthcare workers have been instructed to identify and isolate suspected cases promptly, observe strict infection prevention protocols and report suspected infections to the appropriate public health authorities.
The development comes amid a wider regional Ebola outbreak. Nigeria’s disease control agency had warned earlier in October about the risk of importing the infection following the confirmation of an Ebola case in Kenya linked to an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. <Cite refs={[“turn842866search41″,”turn842866search5”]}/>
Ebola can spread through direct contact with the blood or other body fluids of an infected person who is showing symptoms or has died from the disease. Transmission can also occur through contact with contaminated materials.
The government said people infected with the virus do not transmit it before symptoms begin. Symptoms may include fever, severe weakness, headache, vomiting and diarrhoea.
Nigerians have been urged to practise regular hand hygiene, avoid contact with the body fluids of anyone suspected of having Ebola and seek guidance from public health authorities if they believe they may have been exposed.
Anyone who develops symptoms after possible exposure should avoid close contact with others and contact public health authorities by telephone before visiting a healthcare facility. People contacted by tracing teams, including relevant airline passengers, have also been asked to provide the requested information and follow official instructions.
The government has cautioned against spreading unverified information or stigmatising people who may have been infected or exposed. It urged the public to rely on updates from recognised health authorities.
Reassuring Nigerians, Pate recalled the country’s response to the 2014 Ebola outbreak, which was contained through measures including early identification, isolation, contact tracing and coordinated public health action.
He stressed, however, that preventing further transmission would depend on early detection, prompt reporting and public cooperation.
The Federal Government said further updates would be provided through the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease and the NCDC as investigations and contact tracing continue.
Members of the public seeking information or wishing to report a suspected case can contact the NCDC’s toll-free call centre on 6232, which operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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