Nigeria confirms 1st Ebola case in woman who arrived from Uganda
Nigeria has confirmed an Ebola case in a woman who recently arrived on an international flight from Uganda, according to health officials. Authorities have identified 44 close contacts and activated a public health response.
Nigeria’s Ministry of Health said in a statement on Tuesday that laboratory tests confirmed the infection in the Federal Capital Territory, which includes Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
The woman had been receiving care at a private hospital for several days before the diagnosis was confirmed. She is now in isolation and receiving medical treatment.
Public health teams are tracing and monitoring people who may have been exposed, including healthcare workers, other patients, caregivers and travel contacts. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) is coordinating the response with federal and local health authorities.
Surveillance has been intensified, and the hospital is receiving support to strengthen infection control. Authorities have called on healthcare facilities nationwide to remain on high alert, isolate suspected cases and immediately report them.
It remains unclear whether the woman’s infection is linked to the Ebola outbreak affecting Central and East Africa. Uganda recorded 20 cases linked to that outbreak but has reported no new infections since being declared Ebola-free two months ago.
Kenya also confirmed its ninth Ebola case on Tuesday. Its health ministry says all nine infections belong to one known cluster, with no evidence of transmission outside that group. One patient has died, while the other eight are stable and responding to treatment.
The outbreak has caused at least 9,486 confirmed infections and 4,564 deaths across five countries, according to a tally by WBC24. Most have been in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which reported 9,455 cases and 4,561 deaths as of October 18.
