The Federal Government has confirmed a case of Ebola disease in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, with health authorities identifying 44 close contacts of the infected woman as contact tracing and monitoring continue.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, following laboratory confirmation of the case.

According to the statement, the patient recently arrived in Nigeria on an international flight from Uganda. She was admitted to a private hospital in the FCT, where she received treatment for several days before the Ebola diagnosis was confirmed.

She is currently in isolation and receiving medical care.

The 44 contacts identified so far include healthcare workers, patients, caregivers and people who travelled with the woman. Public health teams are working to trace and monitor those who may have been exposed.

The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), the FCT Health Services Secretariat and other relevant authorities are coordinating the response.

Surveillance has been intensified, while the hospital that treated the patient is receiving support to strengthen its infection prevention and control measures. The minister said investigations were ongoing.

Public and private health facilities across the country have also been directed to remain on high alert. Healthcare workers are expected to maintain a high index of suspicion, promptly identify and isolate suspected cases, observe strict infection prevention and control protocols, and immediately report suspected infections to the relevant public health authorities.

Nigerians have been urged to remain calm and observe preventive measures, including regular handwashing and avoiding contact with the blood and other body fluids of anyone suspected of having Ebola.

The NCDC's toll-free call centre is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to provide information and receive reports of suspected cases.

The confirmation follows an NCDC advisory issued on October 6, 2026, warning of the risk of international spread through travel after Kenya confirmed an imported Ebola case on the same day.

The wider outbreak was reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo on May 15, 2026.

Health authorities are continuing investigations and contact tracing as part of efforts to contain the infection and prevent further transmission.