Nigeria Confirms Ebola Case in Woman Who Travelled Through Uganda
By Reporter
Nigeria has confirmed an Ebola virus infection in a female patient who travelled to Abuja from Uganda, raising concerns over the possible spread of the deadly disease to West Africa amid an outbreak affecting parts of East and Central Africa.
Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, confirmed the case following laboratory tests, disclosing that the patient had been isolated and was receiving medical care at a hospital in Abuja.
Health sources told the BBC that the woman is a foreign national and the wife of a diplomat. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), she developed symptoms on October 7, four days after arriving in Nigeria.
Nigerian health authorities have commenced contact tracing, identifying 44 close contacts of the patient as part of efforts to contain the infection and prevent further transmission.
The development makes Nigeria the first West African country to report a case linked to the current Ebola outbreak affecting parts of Central and East Africa.
However, Uganda’s Ministry of Health has maintained that there are currently no confirmed active Ebola cases in the country, stating that preliminary information suggests the woman passed through Uganda without displaying symptoms.
In a statement posted on X, Uganda’s Director General of Health Services, Charles Olaro, said the patient had travelled to eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) on business before transiting through Uganda in early October.
According to Olaro, the woman’s symptoms emerged only after she arrived in Nigeria. He added that the location where she contracted the virus remained under investigation, noting that detailed information about her travel itinerary and clinical history was needed to guide further investigations and contact tracing.
Nigeria’s health minister also confirmed that the woman had no symptoms when she entered the country. However, he said she had not confirmed travelling to DR Congo.
Speaking to the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Pate said authorities suspected that the infection might have been contracted in Uganda, although investigations were continuing to establish the source.
The patient’s travel documents are expected to assist health officials in reconstructing her movements and identifying people who may have been exposed to the virus. Authorities have urged members of the public to cooperate with contact-tracing teams.
Ebola is a severe and potentially fatal disease transmitted through direct contact with the blood and other bodily fluids of infected people or contaminated materials. Symptoms may include fever, vomiting and diarrhoea, while severe cases can lead to organ failure and, in some patients, internal or external bleeding.
The incubation period ranges from two to 21 days, meaning infected individuals may not develop symptoms for several weeks after exposure.
The current outbreak in DR Congo, which began in May, has been attributed to the Bundibugyo species of the Ebola virus. According to figures cited by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, the outbreak has recorded more than 9,500 cases and at least 4,600 deaths. The Bundibugyo species is relatively rare, and no approved vaccine or specific treatment is available, although clinical trials are ongoing.
The outbreak was also reported in Uganda, where at least two people died before the country declared itself free of the disease in August following the discharge of its last patient. More recently, Kenya has reported at least nine infections, prompting the United States to advise its citizens to reconsider travel to the country because of health risks.
Following Nigeria’s confirmation of the case, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has intensified surveillance and issued public health guidance for travellers.
The agency said travellers arriving from countries with active or relevant Ebola transmission may be required to complete health declaration forms, while those arriving from other countries are currently exempt. It has also advised travellers to remain vigilant and seek prompt medical attention if they develop symptoms consistent with Ebola.
Nigeria has previous experience in containing the disease. During the 2014 outbreak, the country successfully halted transmission through rapid case identification, isolation, contact tracing and coordinated public health interventions. The outbreak resulted in at least eight deaths.
Health authorities are now expected to rely on similar containment measures to prevent the latest case from developing into a wider outbreak.
The government has urged the public to remain calm, practise regular handwashing and sanitise their hands, while cooperating with health officials as investigations and contact tracing continue.
