The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has identified 53 contacts linked to Nigeria’s confirmed case of Ebola disease in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The Director-General of the NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, said this on Sunday during a media briefing in Abuja, where he provided an update on the country’s response to the outbreak.
Idris said the contacts include the confirmed patient’s domestic staff and spouse, as well as healthcare workers, such as those involved in collecting samples from the patient.
“As of now, we have 53 primary contacts. These comprise 44 people from the health facility where the patient was treated and nine additional contacts,” he said.
“Of the nine additional contacts, three are household members of the patient, her driver, chef and husband. Three others attended to her at Julius Berger Clinic before she got to the other facility, while the remaining three are members of the team who went to collect samples.”
According to Idris, none of the identified contacts had tested positive for Ebola or developed symptoms as of the time of the briefing.
However, they have been listed and categorised according to their level of exposure, with public health teams continuing to monitor them.
The NCDC chief also clarified that the agency had investigated two cases, including the confirmed case in the FCT and a suspected case in Rivers State, which tested negative for Ebola.
He stated that the confirmed patient had returned positive results from three samples collected for testing, while her husband tested negative for the disease.
Contact tracing ongoing
Idris said contact tracing was ongoing, with public health teams working to identify people who may have been exposed to the confirmed patient and assess their risk level. This means that the number of contacts could change as investigations progress and more information becomes available.
He said identified contacts would be monitored for 21 days after their last possible exposure, in line with Ebola’s incubation period.
Idris clarified that being identified as a contact does not mean a person has Ebola, and urged Nigerians contacted by public health officials to cooperate with monitoring teams and provide accurate information about their movements, contacts and any symptoms they might experience.
Nigeria strengthening Ebola preparedness
The NCDC chief said the agency is strengthening laboratory capacity and infection prevention measures across the country as part of efforts to prevent the spread of the disease.
Idris said about 12 laboratories can test for Ebola, with efforts ongoing to ensure the availability of reagents and other essential supplies.
He said testing for the confirmed case was conducted at the National Reference Laboratory. Other facilities were receiving support to ensure suspected cases could be investigated promptly.
The agency is also working with health authorities to train health care workers on infection prevention and control, including the proper use of personal protective equipment, hand hygiene and the safe disposal of potentially infectious materials, he added.
Idris said preparedness and response activities were being strengthened in states considered at higher risk. The NCDC was also finalising an incident action plan with partners to coordinate the national response.
He commended health care workers for their vigilance in detecting the confirmed case and urged Nigerians to rely on information from public health authorities and avoid spreading rumours.
Nigeria confirmed an imported Ebola case in the Federal Capital Territory on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, marking the country’s first confirmed case since the 2014 outbreak.
The patient is a 42-year-old Ugandan-born woman who lives in Abuja. She recently returned from a holiday in Kampala, Uganda, on 3 October and developed symptoms three days later.
According to the NCDC, Ebola spreads through direct contact with the blood or body fluids of an infected person who is sick or has died, or through contaminated materials.
