Nigeria Confirms Ebola Case in Abuja, Begins Contact Tracing of 44 People

<p><strong>The Federal Government has confirmed a case of Ebola disease in the Federal Capital Territory &lpar;FCT&rpar;&comma; identifying 44 close contacts as health authorities intensify efforts to contain the infection and prevent further spread&period;<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Professor Muhammad Ali Pate&comma; the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare&comma; made the announcement in a statement issued on Tuesday&comma; October 20&comma; 2026&comma; following laboratory confirmation of the case&period;<&sol;p><p class&equals;"ari-link"><strong>Read also&colon;<&sol;strong> <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;sparknewsdaily&period;com&period;ng&sol;methodist-bishops-applaud-tinubus-southeast-transformation-honour-umahi&sol;">Methodist Bishops Applaud Tinubu’s Southeast Transformation&comma; Honour Umahi<&sol;a><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The Minister said the patient is a woman who recently arrived in Nigeria on an international flight from Uganda&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>She was admitted to a private hospital in the FCT&comma; where she received treatment for several days before the diagnosis was confirmed&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>He said the patient was currently in isolation and receiving medical care&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Pate added that the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare&comma; the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention &lpar;NCDC&rpar;&comma; the FCT Health Services Secretariat and other relevant authorities were working together to contain the infection&period;<&sol;p><p class&equals;"ari-link"><strong>Read also&colon;<&sol;strong> <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;sparknewsdaily&period;com&period;ng&sol;oba-lagos-traditional-council-get-inecs-enlistment-as-partners-in-peace&sol;">Oba&comma; Lagos Traditional Council Get INEC&&num;8217&semi;s Enlistment as Partners in Peace<&sol;a><&sol;p><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Contact tracing has commenced&comma; with public health teams identifying and monitoring individuals who may have been exposed to the patient&comma; including healthcare workers&comma; patients&comma; caregivers and travel contacts&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The government has also intensified disease surveillance&comma; while the hospital where the patient received treatment is being supported to strengthen its infection prevention and control measures&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The Federal Government called on public and private healthcare facilities across the country to remain on high alert and promptly report suspected cases to public health authorities&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>It urged healthcare workers to maintain a high index of suspicion&comma; identify and isolate suspected cases without delay&comma; and strictly observe infection prevention and control protocols&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The government also explained that Ebola spreads through direct contact with the blood or other body fluids of an infected person who is sick or has died from the disease&comma; as well as contact with contaminated materials&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p class&equals;"ari-link"><strong>Read also&colon;<&sol;strong> <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;sparknewsdaily&period;com&period;ng&sol;discos-face-sanctions-as-niso-rejects-debt-repayment-plans&sol;">DisCos Face Sanctions as NISO Rejects Debt Repayment Plans<&sol;a><&sol;p><p>It further clarified that a person infected with Ebola cannot transmit the disease before symptoms develop&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The government urged Nigerians to remain informed and follow public health guidance as authorities continue efforts to contain the confirmed case and prevent further transmission&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;