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Nigeria Ebola Situation Report: Public Health Measures and Updates.
Published 1 day, 5 hours ago
Description
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has placed 53 primary contacts under public health surveillance following the confirmation of the country's first Ebola case since 2014.
During a media briefing on Sunday, October 25, 2026, NCDC Director-General Dr. Jide Idris confirmed that the tracked individuals include healthcare workers, household staff, and the patient's husband, all of whom are being monitored for a mandatory 21-day incubation period.
The NCDC has categorized the primary contacts based on exposure: 44 health facility workers staffed at the primary facility where the patient was isolated and treated; 3 household members of the patient's husband, a driver, and a chef; 3 clinic personnel from Julius Berger Clinic who attended to the patient before her transfer; and 3 response team members involved in safely collecting laboratory samples from the patient.
The confirmed case involves a 42-year-old woman who returned to Abuja from Uganda via Addis Ababa on October 3 and developed symptoms on October 7. Her infection is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus. The NCDC reports she is in isolation and showing remarkable clinical improvement.
A suspected secondary case reported in Rivers State on October 23 has officially tested negative, alleviating immediate fears of geographic spread.
To promote compliance with isolation protocol, the NCDC is considering a weekly stipend of ₦100,000 for individuals placed under strict quarantine.
Dr. Idris has ordered hospitals nationwide to immediately isolate any suspected cases based on screening and triage symptoms alone, rather than waiting for laboratory confirmation. National airport screenings have also been reactivated.
The NCDC emphasizes that being identified as a contact does not mean an individual has contracted Ebola, but is a necessary preventative measure to stop further transmission.
During a media briefing on Sunday, October 25, 2026, NCDC Director-General Dr. Jide Idris confirmed that the tracked individuals include healthcare workers, household staff, and the patient's husband, all of whom are being monitored for a mandatory 21-day incubation period.
The NCDC has categorized the primary contacts based on exposure: 44 health facility workers staffed at the primary facility where the patient was isolated and treated; 3 household members of the patient's husband, a driver, and a chef; 3 clinic personnel from Julius Berger Clinic who attended to the patient before her transfer; and 3 response team members involved in safely collecting laboratory samples from the patient.
The confirmed case involves a 42-year-old woman who returned to Abuja from Uganda via Addis Ababa on October 3 and developed symptoms on October 7. Her infection is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus. The NCDC reports she is in isolation and showing remarkable clinical improvement.
A suspected secondary case reported in Rivers State on October 23 has officially tested negative, alleviating immediate fears of geographic spread.
To promote compliance with isolation protocol, the NCDC is considering a weekly stipend of ₦100,000 for individuals placed under strict quarantine.
Dr. Idris has ordered hospitals nationwide to immediately isolate any suspected cases based on screening and triage symptoms alone, rather than waiting for laboratory confirmation. National airport screenings have also been reactivated.
The NCDC emphasizes that being identified as a contact does not mean an individual has contracted Ebola, but is a necessary preventative measure to stop further transmission.