The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has called for further information from Nigeria’s confirmed Ebola patient to establish her movements before the infection was detected, as health authorities work to prevent the outbreak from spreading across borders.
Africa CDC Director-General, Dr Jean Kaseya, disclosed that the woman, who was born in Uganda, arrived in Abuja with her husband on October 3, 2026, after spending time in the East African country.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Thursday, Kaseya said he had been engaging authorities in Nigeria, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to coordinate the response and determine whether the patient had travelled to the DRC or encountered anyone who came from the country.
He said establishing the woman’s travel history, including whether she visited places outside Kampala or had contact with people linked to the DRC, would help investigators trace the source of the infection and prevent tensions among the countries involved.
Kaseya maintained that Africa was better equipped to respond to public health emergencies, despite the absence of an approved vaccine for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola. He disclosed that clinical trials were being pursued for potential vaccines, including a candidate developed in Egypt, while the agency was also working with partners on other vaccine options.
The Federal Government confirmed Nigeria’s Ebola case on Tuesday, reporting that the patient’s symptoms worsened four days after her arrival from Uganda. The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, said the patient had been isolated for treatment and that contact tracing had begun, with 44 contacts identified at the time.
The development has prompted calls for stronger disease surveillance and emergency preparedness. The Senate has urged the release of emergency funds to improve monitoring at the country’s borders, while the House of Representatives called for increased public awareness and early preparation of isolation facilities.
