The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has reported two suspected Ebola cases as the number of people being monitored following Nigeria’s confirmed infection rises to 53, raising the urgency of efforts to contain the virus.
The Director-General of the NCDC, Dr. Jide Idris, disclosed this on Sunday, October 25, 2026, during a press briefing in Abuja, where he provided an update on the country’s surveillance and response measures.
“We have established two additional suspected cases and 53 primary contact links. They are primary contacts. We have an isolation centre and a quarantine centre,” Idris said.
However, the precise status of the two suspected cases remained unclear, as other accounts of the briefing indicated that authorities had investigated two cases, including the confirmed infection in Abuja and a suspected case in Rivers State that subsequently tested negative. The reported suspected cases should therefore not be interpreted as additional confirmed infections without laboratory results.
Providing details of the contact-tracing exercise, Idris said the 53 contacts comprised 44 people associated with the healthcare facility where the confirmed patient received treatment and nine others identified during further investigations.
The additional contacts included three household members of the patient, three healthcare workers who attended to her at an earlier medical facility and three personnel involved in collecting samples.
The NCDC said the identified contacts had been classified according to their exposure risks and placed under monitoring. None had tested positive for Ebola or developed symptoms as of the briefing.
Idris explained that public health teams would monitor the exposed individuals for 21 days after their last possible exposure, in line with efforts to detect and respond promptly to any emerging infection.
He also disclosed that approximately 12 public and private laboratories were available to conduct Ebola testing in Nigeria, as authorities continued to strengthen the country’s diagnostic capacity.
The NCDC chief urged healthcare facilities nationwide to reinforce screening, patient assessment and infection prevention measures, stressing the importance of providing healthcare workers with adequate personal protective equipment and promptly reporting suspected infections.
He further appealed to individuals contacted by public health officials to cooperate with investigators and provide accurate information about their movements, possible exposure and symptoms.
Nigeria confirmed its first Ebola case in the current regional outbreak on October 20, 2026, after a woman with a recent travel history to Uganda tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain of the virus in Abuja.
According to the World Health Organisation, the woman developed symptoms on October 7 and sought treatment at a private health facility on October 11 before laboratory testing confirmed the infection.
The initial contact-tracing exercise identified 44 people, but the figure subsequently rose to 53 as investigations expanded.
The Federal Government has maintained heightened surveillance while strengthening laboratory testing, isolation arrangements and infection prevention protocols.
Health authorities have urged Nigerians to remain vigilant, cooperate with public health officials and avoid spreading unverified information as investigations and monitoring continue.
