The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has identified 53 contacts linked to the country’s confirmed Ebola case and directed hospitals nationwide to isolate suspected cases without waiting for laboratory confirmation.
The agency said the measures were part of efforts to prevent further transmission of Ebola disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus following confirmation of an infection in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on October 20, 2026.
According to the NCDC’s Ebola Disease Situation Report dated October 24, the confirmed patient, a 42-year-old woman, had improved remarkably while receiving treatment in isolation.
The agency identified the 53 contacts as including healthcare workers, domestic staff and the patient’s spouse. Public health teams are monitoring them for 21 days after their last possible exposure.
NCDC Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, said early detection, prompt isolation and strict infection prevention measures were essential to containing the infection and protecting healthcare workers.
The agency’s latest update confirms one Ebola case in Nigeria, with no deaths recorded among confirmed cases in the October 24 situation report.
NCDC Directs Hospitals To Isolate Suspected Ebola Cases
Idris urged public and private healthcare facilities to take immediate precautions whenever they suspect Ebola, rather than waiting for laboratory results.
He directed hospitals to separate suspected cases from other patients, notify the relevant public health authorities and implement appropriate infection prevention and control measures.
“The detection of this case demonstrates the importance of the surveillance systems we have continued to strengthen over the years,” the NCDC director-general said.
He warned that delayed recognition of suspected infections could expose healthcare workers, patients and caregivers to unnecessary risks.
The NCDC also urged healthcare facilities to maintain effective screening and triage systems to identify patients with compatible symptoms and relevant exposure histories.
Recommended precautions include regular hand hygiene, environmental cleaning, injection safety, proper handling of sharps, safe waste disposal and the appropriate use of personal protective equipment.
Idris stressed that protecting healthcare workers was essential to safeguarding the communities they serve.
Patient Developed Symptoms After Returning From Uganda
The confirmed case followed an alert from a private health facility on October 19, according to the NCDC situation report.
The woman returned to Nigeria from Uganda through Addis Ababa on October 3. She developed symptoms, including fever, diarrhoea, generalised body aches and a sore throat, on October 7.
She first sought medical attention at a private health facility on October 10 and was admitted to another private facility on October 11.
The NCDC was notified on October 19, and laboratory testing confirmed the infection on October 20.
The report did not indicate bleeding among the patient’s symptoms.
Following confirmation, the agency activated the national Incident Management System at its highest level to coordinate the response through the Emergency Operations Centre.
The response involves the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, FCT authorities and technical partners. Their activities include surveillance, contact tracing, laboratory investigations, infection prevention and control, risk communication and preparedness across healthcare facilities.
The agency said these measures were designed to identify possible infections early, protect healthcare workers and prevent further transmission.
Rivers State’s Suspected Ebola Case Tests Negative
The NCDC also reported that a suspected Ebola case identified in Rivers State on October 23 tested negative in laboratory investigations.
The result meant that the suspected case had not been confirmed as Ebola in the agency’s October 24 situation report.
However, the NCDC emphasised that continued surveillance and prompt investigation of suspected infections remained essential to the national response.
Idris urged people contacted by public health officials to cooperate with monitoring teams and provide accurate information about their movements, contacts and any symptoms they might experience.
He also cautioned against stigmatising people identified as contacts, explaining that monitoring does not mean a person has contracted the disease.
“Being identified as a contact does not mean that you have Ebola,” he said.
The agency said identified contacts would be monitored for 21 days after their last possible exposure, in line with the recognised incubation period for Ebola.
NCDC Warns Nigerians Against Ebola Misinformation
Idris warned that misinformation could undermine containment efforts by creating unnecessary fear, discouraging people from reporting symptoms and weakening public cooperation.
He urged Nigerians to rely on verified information from the NCDC, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and other authorised public health agencies.
The director-general also recalled Nigeria’s experience in containing the 2014 Ebola outbreak, noting that lessons from previous responses had helped inform current preparedness measures.
As part of the investigation into the confirmed case, genomic sequencing was completed by the NCDC’s National Reference Laboratory and the African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases.
The laboratory work forms part of the wider investigation alongside contact tracing and other public health activities.
Ebola is a serious infectious 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 contaminated materials.
The NCDC said prompt reporting, early isolation, effective surveillance and strict infection prevention measures remained central to containing the confirmed case and detecting any additional infections.
Idris reiterated that protecting healthcare workers, cooperating with contact-tracing teams and relying on verified public health information would remain essential as Nigeria continues its response.
