Nigeria confirmed an imported case of Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease in Abuja on October 20, 2026, marking the nation’s first infection in over a decade. Health authorities have traced 54 primary contacts, isolated suspected cases, and approved the patient’s medical evacuation to Switzerland following diplomatic requests.
Patient Traced From Uganda To Abuja
Laboratory testing confirmed the presence of the Bundibugyo virus on October 20, 2026. This strain is part of an ongoing outbreak declared in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on May 15, 2026, which has since become the deadliest in that nation’s history. The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted that both the initial patient in Nigeria and the first patient in Kenya traveled through Uganda’s Entebbe International Airport on the same date.
The confirmed patient is a 42-year-old Swiss citizen and the wife of an embassy worker based in Abuja, who travelled to Uganda with her husband before returning to Nigeria through Addis Ababa on October 3. According to the World Health Organization, her symptoms began on October 7. She initially sought treatment at a private health facility in Abuja on October 11, believing she had malaria, before being admitted to another private hospital when her condition failed to improve.
Every contact found is a broken chain of transmission. That is why surveillance is at the heart of Nigeria’s Ebola response.Earlier, the Federal Capital Territory Administration, with support from partners, trained health workers from Abuja’s area councils in contact tracing.… pic.twitter.com/kQdw9DYKjD
Switzerland’s Federal Department of Foreign Affairs stated that the woman did not visit the DRC and was believed to have contracted the virus in Uganda. The World Health Organization noted that the ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has recorded more than 9,800 cases, including more than 4,700 deaths since May. Ayoade Alakija, a Nigerian physician who co-chairs a G7 committee for investment in global health, expressed concern over the spread from East Africa to West Africa, describing it as a pan-African event rather than a localized occurrence in a few at-risk countries. Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention Director General Jean Kaseya also emphasized on X that the situation demands urgent action and political leadership at the highest level.
Fifty-Four Primary Contacts Placed Under Isolation
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention expanded its tracking efforts, bringing the total number of primary contacts under monitoring to 54 individuals. The latest addition to the contact list was an e-hailing driver who transported the index patient to a medical facility. The monitoring roster comprises healthcare workers, household members, domestic staff, and sample collection personnel.
On @trtafrika, Dr Wessam Mankoula of Africa CDC: no validated information yet that Nigeria's Ebola case travelled to DRC.#Ebola #AfricaCDC pic.twitter.com/Vtct1GD4eZ
To ease the financial strain on individuals placed in isolation, the agency approved a weekly payment of N100,000 per person to cover essential comfort and feeding needs during the mandatory 21-day incubation period. NCDC Director-General Dr. Jide Idris explained that the emergency stipend was introduced after quarantined contacts raised complaints about maintaining their families while isolated. Dr. Jide Idris also noted that three individuals who required retesting had all turned out negative.
By October 23, Professor Pate stated that the patient was showing signs of recovery. Professor Dimie Ogoina, a professor of medicine and infectious diseases at Bayelsa Medical University, stressed the need to equip health workers with both the knowledge and resources required to prevent transmission.
Evacuation Completed Under Diplomatic Request
Following a diplomatic request from the Swiss Embassy, the patient was medically evacuated to Switzerland along with her husband under international health regulations and human rights considerations. While Nigerian medical teams successfully stabilized her after she developed multiple organ failure, health authorities noted she still tested positive prior to her transfer. The Director-General of the NCDC, Dr. Jide Idris stated that the decision to evacuate followed consultations with the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, considering necessary safeguards to prevent further transmission during transportation.
With the evacuation of the patient and her husband, Nigeria currently has no Ebola cases.
Dr. Mohamed Yakub Janabi, via CBC
Despite having no active positive cases remaining in the country, the NCDC emphasized that ongoing monitoring of contacts must continue. Meanwhile, virologist Professor Oyewale Tomori urged authorities to prepare for additional positive tests among contacts, stressing that hospital preparedness relies on basic fundamentals such as running water, hand sanitizer, and personal protective equipment. Health officials in Lagos also tightened screening protocols at Murtala Muhammed International Airport. Assessment work has also been conducted at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital as an isolation and treatment centre, alongside efforts to strengthen isolation capacity at Karu General Hospital. Residents have been advised to report suspected cases through the NCDC hotline or contact the public health office or nearest healthcare centre.
I Confirm that, with my approval, earlier this morning, the index case for Nigeria’s first imported Ebola virus disease departed Abuja for Switzerland. The index patient was clinically much improved, stable, conscious, communicating, and her clinical laboratory test results… https://t.co/pFXYkGanrS
The Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria called on hospital managements to provide essential infection control consumables and suitable isolation facilities. Dr. Jide Idris directed healthcare workers to promptly identify and report suspected cases without waiting for laboratory confirmation.
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We are not out of the woods yet until we are sure that all the contacts have been followed up. We don't have an active positive case. – Jide Idris, Director-General, NCDC, speaking on the recent Ebola case in Nigeria and the containment efforts#PoliticsToday pic.twitter.com/CkvhoLzTcG
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