Nigeria confirms Ebola case after female passenger arrived from Uganda
Nigeria has confirmed a case of Ebola virus infection in a woman who arrived by air from Uganda. The patient is in isolation, and authorities have begun checking people who may have had contact with her. So far, 44 such people have been identified.
Premium Times reported this on October 20, citing a statement by Nigerian Health Minister Muhammad Ali Pate.
According to the ministry, the woman arrived in the capital, Abuja, on an international flight from Uganda. Her first symptoms appeared on October 7, and on October 11 she was hospitalized in a private clinic.
After several days of treatment, her condition worsened. Additional laboratory tests confirmed Ebola virus infection on October 20.
The patient is now isolated and receiving necessary medical care. Authorities have not reported any other confirmed cases directly in Nigeria.
Health services have already identified 44 people who may have had contact with the sick woman. They include healthcare workers, other patients, companions, and passengers connected with her travel.
As Nigerian newspaper Punch clarifies, authorities have urged passengers who traveled with the infected woman to cooperate with epidemiologists and provide information needed to trace possible contacts.
The Ministry of Health stressed that identifying contacts does not mean confirming the disease in these people. They are being placed under medical observation.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, together with local health authorities, has strengthened epidemiological surveillance. The hospital where the patient was before diagnosis confirmation is receiving additional support to comply with epidemiological requirements.
All public and private medical facilities in the country are on high alert. Doctors have been instructed to promptly identify patients with suspicious symptoms, isolate them, and report possible infections.
The health minister called on the population to observe hygiene measures, avoid contact with biological fluids of sick people, and seek medical help in a timely manner if symptoms appear after possible exposure.
Ebola is transmitted primarily through direct contact with blood and other body fluids of an infected person, as well as through contaminated objects. Characteristic symptoms include high fever, severe weakness, headache, vomiting, and diarrhea.
The new case comes amid the spread of Ebola in several African countries. A major outbreak that began in May 2026 continues in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In Kenya, where the first case was detected in early October, nine infections had been registered by October 20.
Nigeria previously dealt with Ebola during the West African epidemic of 2014, but authorities managed to stop the spread of the infection.
Health Minister Muhammad Ali Pate said the country has experience and necessary mechanisms for epidemic response. The priority remains identifying all contacts and preventing further transmission of the virus.
