The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has identified the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus in a 42-year-old Abuja resident who recently travelled from Uganda, prompting health authorities to monitor 44 people who may have been exposed.
The development was disclosed by Dr Biodun Oguniyi, Deputy Director and Head of Emergency Preparedness at the NCDC, during the National Emergency Coordination Forum held in Abuja.
According to Oguniyi, the patient travelled through Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, before arriving in Nigeria’s capital on October 3, 2026.
The individual subsequently developed symptoms and was reported to health authorities by a private hospital on October 19.
NCDC Places 44 Contacts Under Ebola Surveillance
Oguniyi said health officials had identified 44 contacts associated with the patient and placed them under a 21-day monitoring period.
The patient has also been isolated and is receiving medical attention as authorities work to prevent further transmission.
The NCDC official explained that laboratory findings identified the virus as the Bundibugyo strain, which differs from the Zaire Ebola virus responsible for the major West African outbreak that reached Nigeria in 2014.
He noted that the latest development came around the anniversary of Nigeria’s declaration as Ebola-free on October 20, 2014.
Health Officials Explain Risks of Bundibugyo Ebola
Oguniyi raised concerns about the challenges associated with managing Bundibugyo Ebola, particularly the limited availability of strain-specific vaccines and treatments.
He said the virus had previously been associated with substantial fatalities during outbreaks in parts of Africa.
The NCDC official also referred to Ebola developments in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya and Uganda while discussing regional disease surveillance.
Health authorities have urged Nigerians to remain alert without resorting to panic or spreading unverified information.
How Ebola Spreads and Symptoms to Watch For
The NCDC emphasised that Ebola spreads primarily through direct contact with the blood or other bodily fluids of infected people, contaminated materials or the bodies of people who have died from the disease.
Oguniyi explained that Ebola is not ordinarily transmitted through the air like respiratory infections and cannot be contracted through mosquito bites.
He discouraged panic buying of face masks, stressing the importance of avoiding exposure to infected bodily fluids and maintaining good hand hygiene.
Nigerians were also warned against misleading claims that drinking or bathing in salt water could prevent or cure Ebola.
Symptoms requiring urgent medical attention include sudden fever, severe weakness, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhoea and, in some cases, unexplained bleeding.
People who develop symptoms after possible exposure were advised to seek professional medical guidance and notify public health authorities rather than attempt home treatment.
Suspected cases can be reported through the NCDC toll-free number, 6232.
Nigeria Records More Than 72,000 Suspected Cholera Cases
The emergency forum also reviewed Nigeria’s cholera situation, with officials reporting 72,134 suspected cases and 476 deaths.
Dr Muhammad Usman, Head of the Research Governance Unit at the NCDC, said Borno State accounted for approximately 96 per cent of the reported cases.
He identified June as the month with the highest reported cholera burden in 2026, with 27,065 suspected infections.
Usman expressed concern that about one-quarter of cholera-related deaths occurred in communities before affected individuals could reach health facilities.
The figures highlighted the need for improved access to emergency treatment, safe drinking water, sanitation and early disease detection.
NEMA Calls for Stronger Emergency Preparedness
Speaking at the forum, Tony Ephraim, Deputy Director of Planning, Research and Forecasting at the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), stressed the importance of coordinated responses to emerging public health and environmental threats.
He identified flooding, cholera, Ebola and weather-related risks associated with El Niño as major concerns requiring cooperation among government institutions and humanitarian organisations.
Ephraim said the meeting brought together representatives of ministries, departments and agencies, security institutions and emergency response partners to review preparedness and strengthen coordination.
He reaffirmed NEMA’s commitment to early warning systems, timely information sharing and coordinated interventions designed to protect vulnerable communities.
Climate Change Adds to Nigeria’s Emergency Challenges
Jonah Barde, Deputy Director in the Department of Climate Change at the Federal Ministry of Environment, also emphasised the need for better preparedness.
He said climate-related developments were increasingly affecting communities and required practical responses from government agencies and other stakeholders.
Barde expressed hope that discussions at the forum would improve awareness and produce workable strategies for addressing environmental and humanitarian risks.
The meeting underscored the importance of stronger disease surveillance, public education and emergency coordination as Nigeria responds to multiple health and environmental challenges.
