Nigeria confirms first imported Ebola case in Abuja

Nigeria's health minister confirmed an imported Bundibugyo Ebola case in the Federal Capital Territory on Tuesday, in a woman who arrived by air from Uganda, with 44 close contacts identified.

Why it matters: Nigeria is Africa's most populous country, and a first case in its capital widens the regional footprint of a Bundibugyo outbreak with no licensed vaccine or specific treatment, even though officials describe this case as contained.

Data as of Tuesday, October 20, 2026, 14:28 ET. Developing item. Health Minister Muhammad Pate's Abuja media conference of October 20, 2026, as reported by the News Agency of Nigeria and read in full; ThisDay carried the same NAN report. The case details, flight origin and contact count are the minister's own.

Nigeria has confirmed its first imported case of Bundibugyo Ebola in the Federal Capital Territory, after laboratory confirmation on Tuesday of an infection in a woman who had recently arrived on an international flight from Uganda, Health Minister Muhammad Pate said at a media conference in Abuja. The woman is in isolation and receiving care after spending several days at a private hospital in the capital before her diagnosis was confirmed, and contact tracing has identified 44 close contacts so far, including health workers, patients, caregivers and travel contacts. Pate called it a contained case, said surveillance has been intensified and the hospital is receiving support to strengthen infection prevention and control, and recalled that Nigeria successfully contained Ebola in 2014.

Nigeria confirms first imported Ebola case in Abuja

Sources