Nigeria’s first Ebola Bundibugyo case triggers swift WHO‑backed containment effort

Nigeria reported its first Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease on 20 October after a woman who arrived from Uganda on 3 October developed symptoms on 7 October. She sought care at a private health facility in Abuja on 11 October and was placed in isolation while laboratory testing confirmed the infection. The World Health Organization is providing technical assistance and essential supplies, including personal protective equipment, to the facility. The patient remains in isolation as investigations continue to reconstruct her travel and exposure history.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control activated its incident management system and, together with WHO, has identified 44 contacts who are now under monitoring. Efforts are focused on locating additional exposures and tightening infection‑prevention and control measures at the private clinic where the patient was treated. WHO is supplying additional protective gear for health workers and supporting the scaling up of hygiene protocols. Rapid case identification, thorough follow‑up of contacts and strict infection‑control are highlighted as critical to preventing further spread.

Nigeria becomes the fifth country to detect the Bundibugyo strain since the Democratic Republic of the Congo declared an outbreak in mid‑May, which has produced more than 9,500 cases and over 4,200 deaths as of 18 October. Neighboring Uganda’s outbreak was declared over in late August, while nine linked cases have occurred in Kenya and one in the Netherlands. No vaccine exists for this virus. WHO has urged all countries in the region to maintain high readiness, strengthen disease surveillance, and ensure laboratories can safely test suspected cases, while avoiding travel or trade restrictions.