The Federal Government has confirmed one case of Ebola disease in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, and begun tracing 44 people who may have been exposed to the virus.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, announced the development on Tuesday, October 20, following laboratory confirmation of the infection.
According to the minister, the patient is a woman who 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 diagnosis was confirmed.
The woman is currently in isolation and receiving medical care, while health authorities work to prevent further transmission.
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), and the FCT Health Services Secretariat are coordinating the response.
Public health teams have identified 44 close contacts and are working to trace and monitor them, as well as other people who may have been exposed, including healthcare workers, patients, caregivers and travel contacts.
Surveillance has also been intensified, while the hospital where the patient was treated is receiving support to strengthen infection prevention and control measures.
The government has directed public and private healthcare facilities nationwide to remain vigilant, promptly identify and isolate suspected cases, observe strict infection prevention protocols and immediately report suspected infections to public health authorities.
Pate urged Nigerians to remain calm and observe preventive measures, including regular handwashing and avoiding contact with the blood or other body fluids of anyone suspected of having Ebola.
Symptoms to watch for include fever, severe weakness, headache, vomiting and diarrhoea, particularly among people who may have been exposed to the virus.
The minister advised anyone who develops symptoms to avoid close contact with others and contact public health authorities for guidance before visiting a healthcare facility.
He also urged people contacted by health officials during the tracing exercise, including potentially exposed airline passengers, to provide the required information and comply with official instructions.
The confirmation follows concerns raised by Nigeria’s disease control agency over the risk of importing Ebola after a case was reported in Kenya in connection with an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The World Health Organisation says Ebola spreads through direct contact with the blood or other body fluids of infected people, or with contaminated objects and surfaces. Infected people do not transmit the virus before symptoms develop, and the incubation period ranges from two to 21 days.
Nigeria previously contained an Ebola outbreak in 2014 through rapid case identification, isolation, contact tracing and coordinated public health interventions.
Pate said Nigeria had the experience and public health systems needed to respond to the latest case, but stressed that preventing further transmission would require public cooperation.
The government said investigations were ongoing and that the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease, alongside the NCDC, would continue to provide updates.
Members of the public can call the NCDC’s toll-free line, 6232, available 24 hours a day, for information or to report a suspected case.
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