Nigeria has confirmed its first imported case of Ebola virus disease linked to the ongoing regional outbreak, after laboratory tests identified the Bundibugyo strain in a woman receiving treatment in the capital, Abuja. Health authorities have placed the patient in isolation and launched contact tracing after identifying 44 people who may have been exposed to the virus.

The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare announced that the case was detected in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), marking Nigeria as the fifth country to report an imported case linked to the current Ebola outbreak that began in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in May.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare Muhammad Ali Pate said the patient is a woman with a recent travel history through Uganda. She developed symptoms on 7 October, four days after arriving in Nigeria, sought treatment at a private hospital in Abuja on 11 October, and was later confirmed to have Ebola through laboratory testing.

Pate said the patient remains in isolation and is receiving medical treatment. He added that health authorities had identified 44 contacts and immediately launched contact-tracing operations to prevent further transmission. Surveillance has also been strengthened at airports, border crossings and other points of entry across the country.

The minister said the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), the FCT Health Secretariat, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO) and other partners were coordinating efforts to contain the virus. He urged the public to observe good hygiene practices, remain alert for symptoms such as fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting and diarrhoea, and cooperate with public health authorities.

Uganda clarifies travel history

Following Nigeria's announcement, Uganda's Ministry of Health said the patient had travelled through Uganda after returning from a business trip to eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Ugandan authorities stressed that the woman merely transited through the country and that Uganda had no active confirmed Ebola cases at the time of her journey. They added that investigations are continuing to determine where she contracted the virus.

Nigeria steps up preparedness

Health authorities said Nigeria is drawing on its experience from successfully containing the country's 2014 Ebola outbreak, which was widely regarded as one of Africa's most effective responses to the disease.

Officials said emergency surveillance, laboratory testing, infection-control measures and contact-tracing teams have been activated nationwide to minimise the risk of community transmission. Africa CDC has also begun mobilising additional support for Nigeria as the regional outbreak expands.

The current Ebola outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain, was first declared in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in May and has since spread across several African countries. Health authorities continue to warn that the outbreak remains a significant regional public health threat despite intensified containment efforts.(ILKHA)