The Federal Government has begun monitoring 44 people who may have been exposed to Ebola virus disease after a woman who recently returned from Uganda tested positive in Abuja.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, disclosed this on Tuesday, saying the patient developed symptoms on October 7 but did not seek medical attention until October 11 at a private hospital in the Federal Capital Territory.
Pate said further tests confirmed the infection on October 20, adding that the woman had been isolated and was receiving medical care.
He said the contacts identified so far included health workers, patients, caregivers and people who might have travelled with the woman.
“Anyone contacted during the contact tracing period that we are in, including those who may have travelled with that individual, should provide necessary information requested and follow public health advice,” the minister said.
The Federal Ministry of Health, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, the FCT Health Secretariat, the World Health Organisation and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention are working together to prevent further transmission.
Pate urged hospitals across the country to remain vigilant, promptly isolate suspected cases and report them to the relevant authorities. He also appealed to Nigerians to remain calm, avoid spreading unverified information and cooperate with public health officials.
Meanwhile, the Director-General of Africa CDC, Dr Jean Kaseya, has called for urgent international assistance to contain the wider outbreak affecting parts of Africa.
In a statement titled “Ebola in Nigeria: An Urgent Call for Global Solidarity,” Kaseya said the outbreak involving the Bundibugyo virus had spread across multiple countries and required immediate support.
He called for emergency funding, medical supplies, diagnostic equipment, trained health workers and stronger community surveillance to prevent further spread.
Kaseya said Africa CDC was supporting Nigeria while intensifying its response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Kenya and maintaining heightened vigilance in Uganda.
Ebola spreads mainly through direct contact with the blood and other body fluids of infected people who have developed symptoms, as well as contaminated materials. Symptoms may include fever, weakness, severe headache, muscle pain, vomiting and diarrhoea.
The Federal Government urged anyone who develops symptoms after possible exposure to contact public health authorities immediately and disclose relevant travel and contact history.
Pate recalled Nigeria’s successful containment of an Ebola outbreak in 2014, expressing confidence in the country’s ability to respond to the latest case. He also said a Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease had been established in May 2026 to strengthen preparedness.
Members of the public seeking information or wishing to report suspected cases can call the NCDC’s toll-free line, 6232, which the minister said operates round the clock.
Contact tracing and investigations are continuing, with the authorities expected to provide further updates.
