The Federal Government has confirmed one case of Ebola virus disease in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and identified 44 people who may have had contact with the infected woman.
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 infection.
According to the statement, the woman recently travelled to Nigeria on an international flight from Uganda. She later developed an illness and received treatment at a private hospital in the FCT for several days before laboratory tests confirmed Ebola.
The government said the woman was receiving medical care in isolation as health authorities worked to prevent further transmission.
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), and the FCT Health Services Secretariat have launched a coordinated response to contain the infection.
Health officials have begun tracing the 44 identified contacts and are working to identify and monitor other people who may have been exposed to the virus. These include healthcare workers, patients, caregivers and people who travelled with the woman or shared relevant travel connections.
The authorities have also intensified disease surveillance and are supporting the hospital where the woman received treatment to strengthen infection prevention and control measures.
The government has directed public and private healthcare facilities across the country to remain vigilant. It urged healthcare workers to identify suspected cases promptly, isolate patients when necessary, follow strict infection prevention procedures and immediately report suspected Ebola infections to public health authorities.
Pate urged Nigerians to remain calm and follow preventive measures, including regular handwashing and avoiding contact with the blood and other body fluids of anyone suspected of having Ebola.
Symptoms Nigerians Should Watch For
The government identified fever, severe weakness, headache, vomiting and diarrhoea as symptoms that could indicate Ebola infection, particularly in people who may have been exposed to the virus.
Anyone who develops symptoms after a possible exposure should avoid close contact with others and contact public health authorities for instructions before travelling to a healthcare facility.
The government also urged people contacted by health officials during the tracing exercise, including potentially exposed airline passengers, to provide accurate information and comply with monitoring and other public health instructions.
The confirmation comes amid concerns about Ebola transmission in parts of Africa. In an advisory issued on October 6, the NCDC warned about the risk of importing the infection following a confirmed case in Kenya linked to an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
What Is Ebola Virus Disease?
Ebola virus disease is a rare but severe illness that can cause death. The virus belongs to the filovirus family and can cause serious damage to the body, including severe bleeding in some patients.
Scientists first identified Ebola in 1976 after outbreaks occurred in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in Sudan. The virus takes its name from the Ebola River near one of the locations associated with the first recognised outbreak.
Since then, several countries in Africa have experienced outbreaks. The largest recorded outbreak occurred in West Africa between 2014 and 2016, affecting Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone and causing more than 28,000 reported cases and over 11,000 deaths, according to the World Health Organisation.
Ebola spreads primarily through direct contact with the blood, secretions and other body fluids of an infected person who has developed symptoms. People can also become infected by touching contaminated objects, such as bedding, clothing or medical equipment.
The virus can spread during the care of sick people and through contact with the bodies of people who have died from the disease. Certain animal exposures, including contact with infected wildlife or handling infected animals, can also transmit the virus to humans.
The World Health Organisation says the incubation period — the time between infection and the appearance of symptoms — ranges from two to 21 days.
People who have Ebola do not transmit the virus before symptoms develop. However, infected people can spread it after symptoms begin, making early detection, isolation and contact tracing essential to controlling outbreaks.
How to Prevent Ebola Infection
Health authorities recommend several precautions to reduce the risk of infection:
- Wash your hands regularly: Use soap and running water, particularly after visiting public places or caring for someone who is ill. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser when soap and water are unavailable and your hands are not visibly dirty.
- Avoid contact with body fluids: Do not touch the blood, vomit, diarrhoea, saliva or other body fluids of anyone suspected or confirmed to have Ebola.
- Do not handle contaminated items: Avoid touching clothing, bedding, needles, medical equipment or other objects that may have come into contact with an infected person’s body fluids.
- Avoid caring for suspected cases without protection: Family members and other caregivers should follow instructions from trained health workers and should not attempt to provide unprotected care.
- Practise safe burial procedures: Avoid direct contact with the body of anyone who may have died from Ebola. Trained response teams should handle burials involving suspected or confirmed cases.
- Handle wildlife safely: Avoid touching or handling bats, monkeys, apes or other wild animals found sick or dead. Do not eat bushmeat from animals suspected of being infected.
- Seek help early: Anyone who develops compatible symptoms after a possible exposure should contact public health authorities immediately and follow their instructions.
- Cooperate with contact tracing: People identified as contacts should provide accurate information, attend any required monitoring and report symptoms promptly.
Healthcare workers should use appropriate personal protective equipment, follow strict infection prevention protocols and safely manage medical waste and contaminated materials.
Some Ebola vaccines protect against specific types of the virus, but protection depends on the virus species involved and the vaccine available. Vaccination and other outbreak-control measures should follow public health authorities’ guidance.
Nigeria’s Previous Ebola Outbreak
Nigeria experienced an Ebola outbreak in 2014 after an infected traveller arrived in Lagos from Liberia. Health authorities identified the case, isolated the patient and traced people who had contact with him.
The response involved monitoring exposed individuals, strengthening infection control in healthcare facilities and coordinating efforts among federal and state authorities, healthcare workers and international partners.
Nigeria successfully contained the outbreak. The experience demonstrated the importance of rapid case detection, contact tracing, isolation and cooperation from the public.
Reassuring Nigerians about the country’s response capacity, Pate said Nigeria had the experience and public health systems needed to respond to the current case. He stressed, however, that public cooperation remained essential to preventing further transmission.
The Federal Government said investigations were continuing and that the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease and the NCDC would provide further updates.
Members of the public can call the NCDC’s toll-free line on 6232, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for information or to report a suspected case.
