The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has announced that monitoring of 62 contacts identified following the confirmation of an imported Ebola case in Nigeria is expected to be completed by November 13, 2026.
The agency disclosed this in its latest Ebola Disease Situation Report, explaining that the identified contacts were scheduled to complete their monitoring at different times between October 31 and November 13.
According to the report, the 62 individuals were identified following investigations into the country’s first confirmed Ebola case in the current outbreak.
The NCDC explained that contact tracing and monitoring activities were still ongoing, with additional contact tracers mapped and trained to strengthen surveillance and prevent possible transmission.
It also disclosed plans to identify and assess additional contacts who might require evacuation to designated quarantine facilities.
The agency said it would continue monitoring individuals already placed in quarantine while reviewing the scope and strategy for identifying people who might have been exposed to the virus.
Nigeria confirmed its first Ebola case in the current outbreak on October 20, 2026, after laboratory tests detected the Bundibugyo strain of the virus in a woman who had travelled from Uganda.
The patient reportedly arrived in Nigeria on October 3 and developed symptoms on October 7, before seeking medical attention at a private health facility in Abuja on October 11.
She was subsequently evacuated to Switzerland on October 26 for further medical treatment alongside her husband, who was identified as a close contact.
The NCDC said laboratory investigations had recorded 18 samples tested since the confirmation of the outbreak, with one positive result and 17 negative results.
The positive result was from the index patient, while the negative samples comprised 15 collected from identified contacts and two from suspected cases.
Meanwhile, two additional suspected Ebola cases identified in Adamawa State were subsequently ruled out after two rounds of laboratory testing.
The NCDC Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, confirmed that the samples collected from the two individuals tested negative for Ebola.
He commended the Adamawa State Commissioner for Health and his team for their prompt response, adding that the agency would continue providing technical support to strengthen surveillance and emergency preparedness.
The development followed concerns over the possible spread of the virus to other parts of the country.
In its situation report, the NCDC said it had activated the National Incident Management System under the leadership of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate.
The agency also disclosed that it had strengthened coordination with relevant government institutions and development partners to improve resource mobilisation and accountability.
On laboratory preparedness, the NCDC said it was maintaining uninterrupted Ebola testing at the National Reference Laboratory, with plans to expand testing capacity to Lagos.
It also reported that the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital had been assessed and engaged on its readiness to serve as an isolation and treatment centre.
The agency further disclosed that infection prevention and control assessments had been conducted across states and health facilities, while healthcare workers were being sensitised on appropriate safety measures.
Meanwhile, the NCDC urged Nigerians to remain vigilant, practise regular handwashing and report individuals presenting symptoms associated with Ebola to health authorities.
The agency stressed that the projected November 13 completion date applies to the monitoring of currently identified contacts and does not mean that surveillance and preparedness activities will automatically end.
It maintained that continued monitoring, laboratory testing, public awareness and cooperation with health authorities remain essential to preventing further transmission of the virus.
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