The Federal Government has confirmed a case of Ebola virus disease in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, triggering immediate public health interventions to contain the virus and prevent local transmission.
During a media briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, disclosed that the imported case was confirmed through laboratory testing. He explained that the patient is a woman who recently returned to Nigeria on an international flight from East Africa, specifically Uganda, arriving on September 7 with symptoms. Her condition progressed four days later before diagnostic tests established the infection.
The patient, a woman who recently arrived in Nigeria on an international flight from Uganda, was admitted to a private hospital where she received care for several days before the diagnosis was confirmed, a government statement noted. She is currently in isolation and receiving medical care.
Minister Pate stated that contact tracing has commenced, with 44 individuals identified so far. The government is also strengthening surveillance measures across the nation’s entry points.
To control the situation, the Ministry of Health is coordinating efforts with the FCT Health Secretariat, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, and other international health partners. Pate advised both public and private healthcare centers to maintain a high index of suspicion and stay on elevated alert for potential cases.
He assured the public that authorities are drawing on Nigeria’s past experience in successfully containing the 2014 Ebola outbreak, alongside existing public health structures. All identified contacts are actively being monitored and traced.
Calling for calm and vigilance, the minister advised citizens to maintain good personal hygiene, monitor for symptoms such as fever, weakness, headache, and diarrhoea, and cooperate fully with health officials. He assured that the situation is under control and promised transparent, timely updates.
The development follows recent Ebola reports from neighboring regions, including an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and confirmed cases in Kenya.
