Nigeria Tracks 53 Contacts After Confirming First Ebola Case Since 2014
Nigerian health authorities have identified 53 people who came into contact with the country's first confirmed Ebola patient since 2014 — a woman who contracted the Bundibugyo strain while travelling in Uganda — with none showing symptoms so far.
Nigeria's Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) confirmed on 26 October 2026 that 53 primary contacts had been identified and placed under 21-day monitoring following the country's first confirmed Ebola case since 2014. The patient is a 42-year-old woman born in Uganda who returned to Abuja on 3 October 2026 after a visit to Kampala, developing symptoms three days after arrival. She was initially treated at Julius Berger Clinic before being transferred to another facility, where she was confirmed to carry the Bundibugyo strain of the virus — the same strain driving the ongoing DRC outbreak. The 53 contacts include 44 healthcare workers from the facilities where she was treated, three household members (her husband, driver and chef), three staff from Julius Berger Clinic, and three sample-collection team members. As of the NCDC briefing, none of the contacts had tested positive or developed symptoms. All are being monitored for the full 21-day incubation period. Nigeria has simultaneously enhanced screening at its international airports. A suspected case in Rivers State tested negative. The NCDC said the swift identification of contacts reflects lessons learned from Nigeria's successful containment of the 2014 Ebola outbreak.
