The Federal Government has confirmed one case of Ebola Virus Disease in the Federal Capital Territory, following laboratory confirmation on Monday, October 20, 2026.
According to a press statement signed by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, the patient is a woman who recently arrived in Nigeria on an international flight from Uganda and was admitted to a private hospital in the FCT where she received care for several days before diagnosis.
The Minister said the patient is currently in isolation and receiving medical care, while the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, are working closely with the FCT Health Services Secretariat and other relevant authorities to contain the infection and prevent further spread.
He disclosed that contact tracing has commenced with 44 close contacts so far identified, including healthcare workers, patients, caregivers and travel contacts, as public health teams intensify surveillance and provide immediate support to the hospital to strengthen infection prevention and control measures.
The Federal Government called on all public and private health facilities nationwide to be on high alert, urging healthcare workers to maintain a high index of suspicion, promptly isolate suspected cases, observe strict infection prevention protocols and immediately report to public health authorities.
Reassuring Nigerians, Prof. Pate said Nigeria successfully contained Ebola in 2014 and has the experience and systems to respond, while advising the public to remain calm but vigilant, practise hand hygiene, watch for symptoms such as fever, severe weakness, headache, vomiting and diarrhoea, and report suspected cases to the NCDC toll-free line 6232.
