By AGATHA N UJU, Correspondent, Abuja
The Federal Government of Nigeria confirm one case of Ebola disease in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), following laboratory confirmation today, 20 October 2026.
Disclosing the development, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, said the patient, a woman who recently arrived in Nigeria on an international flight from Uganda, was admitted to a private hospital in the FCT, where she received care for several days before the diagnosis was confirmed. She is currently in isolation and receiving medical care.
Pate further said the Federal Minister of Health and Social Welfare and NCDC are working closely with the FCT Health Services Secretariat and other relevant authorities to contain the infection and prevent further spread.
He also said that contact tracing has commenced with 44 close contacts identified presently, with public health teams identifying and monitoring people who may have been exposed, including healthcare workers, patients, caregivers and travel contacts.
The minister said that surveillance has been intensified, and the hospital is receiving immediate support to strengthen infection prevention and control measures.
The FG calls on all public and private healthcare facilities nationwide to be on high alert. Healthcare workers must maintain a high index of suspicion, promptly identify and isolate suspected cases, observe strict infection prevention and control measures, and immediately report suspected cases to public health authorities.
Tips on Ebola
Ebola spreads through direct contact with the blood or body fluids of someone who is sick with the disease or has died from it, or through contact with contaminated materials. A person with Ebola cannot spread the disease before symptoms begin.
The federal government urged the public to remain calm but vigilant, adding that there is no need for panic.
The federal government also advised increased awareness on personal practice of regular hand hygiene and that individuals should avoid contact with the body fluids of anyone suspected to have Ebola.
Speaking on symptoms of the disease, the minister in a statement on Tuesday night said that these include fever, severe weakness, headache, vomiting and diarrhoea, particularly following possible exposure.
The government called on the public to report any possible exposure immediately.
