Nigeria has reported its first Ebola case involving a 42-year-old woman married to a diplomat who recently travelled to Uganda, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). The case has attracted attention across the region, with health authorities working to establish the woman’s movements and determine whether other people may have been exposed to the virus.
The woman, who resides in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, reportedly spent approximately two and a half weeks in Kampala, Uganda, before returning to Nigeria on October 3. Her travel history has raised questions about where she may have contracted the infection, although the available information does not establish that she acquired the virus in Uganda.
According to the reported timeline, the woman began experiencing symptoms on October 6, three days after arriving back in Nigeria. She initially suspected that she was suffering from malaria and sought treatment at private hospitals before being admitted to a health facility on October 11. Her case was subsequently confirmed as Ebola, prompting health officials to begin investigations and strengthen monitoring measures.
Nigeria’s Minister of Health, Muhammad Pate, said the patient was in stable condition and showing signs of improvement. Health authorities have also started tracing people who may have come into contact with her to determine whether any of them could have been exposed to the virus.
Officials reportedly identified 44 contacts following confirmation of the infection. At the time of the report, none of the identified individuals had developed symptoms. Authorities are continuing to monitor them as part of efforts to detect any possible secondary infections and prevent further transmission.
The investigation has also extended beyond Nigeria and Uganda because the woman reportedly had a two-hour stopover in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, during her journey. Health officials are therefore working to establish her movements and determine whether contact tracing or additional surveillance measures are necessary in the countries connected to her trip.
However, differing accounts of the woman’s travel history have complicated efforts to establish where the infection may have originated. Ugandan authorities reportedly indicated that she had travelled to the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo for business and passed through Uganda. They also maintained that there were no confirmed active Ebola cases in Uganda, highlighting the importance of verifying the circumstances surrounding the infection before drawing conclusions about its source.
Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya has called for cooperation and information sharing among the countries involved, emphasising the need for a coordinated public health response. He also cautioned against travel bans that could undermine cooperation between nations. Meanwhile, health authorities in Nigeria, Uganda and Ethiopia are working with Africa CDC to investigate the case, monitor identified contacts and strengthen disease surveillance to reduce the risk of further infections.
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