Nigeria confirms Ebola case in Abuja as outbreak widens

Nigeria’s health ministry has confirmed an Ebola case in Abuja, the capital, in a woman who arrived from Uganda and tested positive for the virus. She began showing symptoms on 7 October and was admitted to a hospital in Abuja four days later, where she was diagnosed with Ebola.

It is unclear when the woman arrived in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, and Nigerian authorities have not disclosed her nationality.

How many contacts is Nigeria tracing?

Nigeria’s health minister, Muhammad Pate, said authorities had identified 44 people as contacts of the patient and begun tracing them. “We are doing everything possible to contain this case by tracing all the contacts the individual may have had,” Pate said.

Where did the infection come from?

Uganda’s ministry of health said the patient only transited through Uganda and is a Nigerian woman who had been on a business trip to eastern Congo. The ministry said in a statement: “Travel through Uganda does not establish that infection occurred here. The location of exposure remains under investigation.” Uganda’s ministry also said the country has no confirmed active Ebola cases.

Which other countries have reported Ebola cases?

Kenya confirmed its first Ebola case earlier this month and has since recorded nine infections. Uganda had previously reported Ebola cases but later declared itself free of the virus. Kenya has also been the subject of international reporting over the conviction of cult leader Paul Mackenzie for 191 murders.

How serious is the outbreak?

Dr Jean Kaseya, director general of the Africa Centers for Disease Control, said on X that the fatality rate is nearly 50% and that “we are facing an extremely serious threat”. Kaseya said the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak “has already become the most geographically extensive in history, affecting several countries spread across three regions of Africa”.

How many people has the virus infected?

The Bundibugyo virus has infected more than 9,500 people and killed more than 4,600. The World Health Organization has said the outbreak is the fastest-spreading on record and is on track to exceed the deadliest on record, the 11,000 people killed in West Africa’s regional outbreak between 2014 and 2016.

What had Nigeria done before this case?

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control said two weeks ago that it was stepping up surveillance after Ebola was detected in Kenya, with efforts focused on early detection, isolation and referral, laboratory diagnosis, infection prevention and control, contact tracing, risk communication and protection of health care workers. Nigeria established an Ebola taskforce in June, after the outbreak in Congo in mid-May.

Frequently asked questions

Is there an Ebola case in Nigeria?

Yes. Nigeria’s health ministry confirmed one Ebola case in Abuja in October 2026, in a woman who arrived from Uganda and tested positive for the virus.

How many contacts are being traced?

Health minister Muhammad Pate said 44 people had been identified as contacts of the patient and that authorities had begun tracing them.

Where did the Nigerian patient contract Ebola?

The location of exposure remains under investigation, according to Uganda’s ministry of health, which said the woman transited through Uganda after a business trip to eastern Congo.

How far has this Ebola outbreak spread?

Africa CDC director general Jean Kaseya said the Bundibugyo outbreak has affected several countries across three regions of Africa, making it the most geographically extensive in history.

With reporting from The Guardian.

Stock image, not from the events described. Globe World — Jo%E3o%20Silas / Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)