The Federal Government has confirmed one case of Ebola disease in the Federal Capital Territory following laboratory confirmation on Tuesday, 20 October 2026.

The patient, a woman who recently arrived in Nigeria on an international flight from Uganda, was admitted to a private hospital in the FCT where she received care for several days before the diagnosis was confirmed. She is currently in isolation and receiving medical care.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention are working closely with the FCT Health Services Secretariat and other relevant authorities to contain the infection and prevent further spread.

Contact tracing has commenced, with 44 close contacts identified so far. Public health teams are identifying and monitoring people who may have been exposed, including healthcare workers, patients, caregivers and travel contacts.

Surveillance has been intensified, and the hospital is receiving immediate support to strengthen infection prevention and control measures.

The Federal Government has called on all public and private healthcare facilities nationwide to be on high alert.

Healthcare workers have been directed to maintain a high index of suspicion, promptly identify and isolate suspected cases, observe strict infection prevention and control measures, and immediately report suspected cases to public health authorities.

Ebola spreads through direct contact with the blood or body fluids of someone who is sick with the disease or has died from it, or through contact with contaminated materials. A person with Ebola cannot spread the disease before symptoms begin.

Authorities have advised the public to remain calm but vigilant, practise regular hand hygiene, avoid contact with the body fluids of anyone suspected to have Ebola, watch for symptoms such as fever, severe weakness, headache, vomiting and diarrhoea, and report any possible exposure immediately.