Nigeria Monitors 62 Ebola Contacts, Prepares To Move More Contacts Into Quarantine
Nigeria Monitors 62 Ebola Contacts, Prepares To Move More Contacts Into Quarantine
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The NCDC said additional contact tracers had been mapped and trained to strengthen monitoring, while plans were underway to identify more contacts for possible evacuation to a quarantine facility.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has set November 13, 2026, as the deadline to complete monitoring of 62 people identified as contacts of Nigeria’s confirmed Ebola patient following the detection of the Bundibugyo virus in the country.Nigerian political analysis
The agency disclosed this in its latest Ebola Disease Situation Report. It said the contacts were scheduled to complete their follow-up at different dates between October 31 and November 13.
“Contacts are expected to complete follow-up by November. Expected completion dates range from 31 Oct to 13 Nov 2026,” it said.
According to the report, 62 contacts had been identified, with contact tracing and surveillance activities still ongoing.
The NCDC said additional contact tracers had been mapped and trained to strengthen monitoring, while plans were underway to identify more contacts for possible evacuation to a quarantine facility.
The agency also said it would continue monitoring people already in quarantine and work with relevant partners to improve coordination, resource mobilisation and accountability in the outbreak response.
On laboratory investigations, the NCDC reported that 18 samples had been tested since the outbreak was confirmed.
One sample, collected from the index patient, tested positive, while 17 others returned negative results, including 15 samples from identified contacts and two from suspected cases.
The agency said laboratory confirmation was obtained on October 20, adding that genomic sequencing had been completed by the NCDC National Reference Laboratory in collaboration with the African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID).
The NCDC had reviewed and expanded its contact identification strategy and updated the case definitions for Ebola disease to improve the detection and management of suspected infections.
It listed plans to review contact-tracing guidelines, self-quarantine procedures, self-care kits and the Ebola call protocol. The agency also plans to develop an Ebola disease dashboard on the Surveillance Outbreak Response Management and Analysis System (SORMAS) to strengthen the tracking and management of contacts.
The NCDC said the National Incident Management System had been activated under the leadership of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate. It added that the Incident Action Plan had been finalised and response activities were continuing across relevant sectors.
On laboratory preparedness, the agency said it would maintain uninterrupted Ebola testing at the National Reference Laboratory and expand diagnostic capacity to Lagos. It also plans to distribute additional laboratory reagents and supplies across the national network of laboratories.
For treatment and patient management, the agency disclosed that it had assessed the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital for its readiness to serve as an isolation and treatment centre.
A needs assessment and facility optimisation exercise had been completed, while a dedicated ambulance had been secured and placed on standby for safe patient referrals.
The infection prevention assessments had been conducted in health facilities across states, with healthcare workers receiving sensitisation on appropriate safety measures. The NCDC also said it had engaged the facility managing the index patient on compliance with standard and transmission-based infection prevention guidelines.
Other measures include refresher training for environmental health officers, terminal cleaning at the index patient’s residence and plans to strengthen screening and isolation through an infection prevention and control ring strategy.
The agency also intends to assess isolation capacity at Karu General Hospital in the Federal Capital Territory.
Nigeria confirmed its first Ebola case in the current outbreak on October 20, 2026, after laboratory tests detected the Bundibugyo virus in a woman who had travelled from Uganda.
According to the World Health Organisation, the patient developed symptoms on October 7, four days after arriving in Nigeria, and sought medical attention at a private health facility in Abuja on October 11.
The confirmation made Nigeria the fifth country to detect the virus since the outbreak was declared in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on May 15, 2026.
The index patient was evacuated to Switzerland on October 26 for further medical treatment, alongside her husband, who was identified as a close contact.
The NCDC said surveillance, contact tracing, laboratory testing and preparedness activities would continue as authorities work to contain the outbreak and strengthen the country’s response capacity.
