The Federal Government has reported signs of recovery in Nigeria’s confirmed Ebola patient, while assuring the public that there is currently no evidence of community transmission of the virus.
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare disclosed this in an update issued on Friday, as health authorities continued contact tracing, quarantine and monitoring to contain the infection.
The ministry said national coordination, preparedness in health facilities and other public health measures had been strengthened as part of efforts to prevent further transmission.
Nigeria confirmed the Ebola case on October 20 following laboratory tests on a woman who had recently travelled from Uganda and received treatment at a private hospital in Abuja.
According to the World Health Organisation, WHO, the patient’s infection was identified as Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease. Her symptoms began on October 7, four days after her arrival in Nigeria, and she sought medical attention at a private health facility on October 11.
The confirmation prompted the activation of emergency public health measures, including the identification and monitoring of people who might have been exposed to the patient.
The Federal Ministry of Health previously reported that 44 close contacts had been identified following confirmation of the infection. The contacts include people who may have encountered the patient or been exposed during her treatment.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, NCDC, has activated its incident management system to coordinate the response, while the WHO is supporting Nigerian authorities with case investigation, contact tracing and infection prevention measures.
Health facilities have also been urged to strengthen infection prevention and control, promptly identify and isolate suspected cases, and report them to public health authorities.
The circumstances surrounding the patient’s infection remain under investigation, including her travel history and possible exposure before she became ill.
Nigeria’s case comes amid a wider outbreak of Bundibugyo virus disease, which was declared in the DRC in May 2026.
