The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has said that 53 contacts linked to the confirmed Ebola case in the Federal Capital Territory are currently under surveillance.

The contacts include healthcare workers, domestic staff and the spouse of the index case, a 42-year-old woman who returned to Nigeria from Uganda through Addis Ababa on October 3, 2026.

According to the agency, the patient became symptomatic four days after arrival and was admitted to a private health facility on October 11.

The NCDC said it was notified on October 19, after which an in-depth case investigation and sample collection commenced.

A confirmation by the NCDC National Reference Laboratory was made on October 20, 2026.

The agency said symptoms presented by the patient included fever, diarrhoea, generalised body aches and sore throat, while bleeding was not reported.

It also disclosed that a newly suspected case reported by Rivers State on October 23 returned a negative laboratory result for Ebola.

Director-General of the NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, reassured Nigerians that the Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the NCDC, FCT health authorities and partners, is fully committed to responding to the confirmed case.

He said the response is being implemented through a structured Incident Management System, coordinated by the Emergency Operations Centre under the national leadership of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Mohammed Pate, and the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease.

Dr Idris explained that public health teams are working to identify everyone who may have been exposed to the confirmed case, assess their level of exposure and ensure appropriate follow-up for 21 days from their last possible exposure.

He urged Nigerians to cooperate fully if contacted by public health officials, stressing that being identified as a contact does not mean that one has Ebola.

The NCDC boss also commended healthcare workers whose vigilance and clinical judgement contributed to the identification of the case, noting that their high index of suspicion was critical in triggering the public health response.

He called on the leadership of every public and private healthcare facility in Nigeria to immediately review and strengthen their infection prevention and control measures.

Dr Idris said screening and triage must be instituted and consistently implemented, while healthcare workers must maintain a high index of suspicion, particularly when attending to patients with compatible symptoms and relevant exposure histories.

He further stated that any suspected case must be promptly separated from other patients and reported to the relevant public health authorities.

“Protecting healthcare workers is essential to protecting the communities they serve,” he said.