HeadlineUPDATED: Nigeria identifies 2 suspected Ebola cases

Hillary Michael · Nigeria · Oct 26, 2026

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) says it has identified two suspected Ebola cases, including a confirmed infection involving a 42-year-old woman, while a second suspected case in Rivers State has tested negative.

The Director-General of the NCDC, Jide Idris, disclosed this on Sunday during a press briefing in Abuja, noting that the agency had identified 53 primary contacts linked to the confirmed case and was monitoring people who might have been exposed to the virus.

“We have established two suspected cases and 53 primary contact links. They are primary contacts. We have an isolation centre and a quarantine centre,” Idris said.

He explained that the confirmed case involved a 42-year-old woman who travelled back to Nigeria from Uganda through Addis Ababa on October 3, 2026, arriving in Abuja aboard an international flight. According to him, the woman began experiencing symptoms on October 7 and sought medical attention at a private health facility on October 10. She subsequently visited another private hospital the following day, where she was admitted.

Idris said the NCDC received notification of the case on October 19 and immediately commenced investigations, including the collection of samples for laboratory testing.

The agency’s National Reference Laboratory confirmed the Ebola infection on October 20.

The NCDC chief said the woman presented with fever, diarrhoea, generalised body aches and a sore throat but did not report any bleeding. He also disclosed that about 12 public and private laboratories were available to conduct Ebola tests, adding that the agency had strengthened its laboratory capacity to facilitate the prompt investigation of suspected infections.

Idris urged public and private healthcare facilities to intensify screening and triage procedures while adhering to infection prevention and control measures.

He further stressed the importance of ensuring that healthcare workers had adequate personal protective equipment to minimise the risk of infection.

The NCDC director-general also called on individuals contacted by public health officials to cooperate with contact-tracing teams and provide accurate information about their movements, contacts and symptoms.

The agency’s surveillance and contact-tracing efforts are aimed at identifying people who may have been exposed to the virus and limiting the potential spread of the disease.