Nigeria’s Health Minister Muhammad Ali Pate announced on Tuesday, Oct 20, that a woman who recently travelled from Uganda tested positive for Ebola after being admitted to a private hospital in Abuja.

Laboratory tests confirmed the infection and the patient is now being cared for in an isolation facility.

Health officials have identified 44 individuals who may have been exposed to the patient, including healthcare workers and others who interacted with her, and are conducting contact tracing to monitor them for symptoms.

The government has called on both public and private health facilities to remain vigilant, promptly isolate suspected cases and reinforce infection‑prevention measures as investigations continue.

The Nigerian case adds to regional concerns, with the Democratic Republic of Congo still battling a large Bundibugyo‑strain outbreak and Uganda having recently declared its own outbreak over.

Kenya, which has recorded nine Ebola cases linked to a single cluster, reported that 134 of 135 identified contacts have been traced and placed under quarantine, highlighting the importance of rapid contact monitoring across the region.

Ebola spreads primarily through direct contact with blood or bodily fluids of symptomatic individuals or contaminated materials, underscoring the need for strict infection‑control protocols.