The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has disclosed that Nigeria’s first confirmed patient in the ongoing Bundibugyo strain of Ebola outbreak was born in Uganda and arrived in Abuja with her husband on October 3, 2026.
The agency’s Director-General, Dr Jean Kaseya, disclosed this during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Thursday, explaining that the patient’s travel history was central to efforts to establish the source of the infection and prevent further transmission.
Kaseya said the Africa CDC was working with health authorities in Nigeria, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to reconstruct the patient’s movements and determine where she might have contracted the virus.
He urged the patient to provide additional information about her movements, including whether she had visited the DRC, travelled outside Uganda’s capital, Kampala, or had contact with anyone arriving from the neighbouring country.
According to him, establishing these details would help investigators determine the likely source of infection and prevent disagreements between African countries over responsibility for the outbreak.
The Africa CDC chief also called for calm, insisting that African countries had strengthened their capacity to respond to public health emergencies.
However, he expressed concern about the absence of an approved vaccine specifically targeting the Bundibugyo strain, stressing the need for equitable access to vaccines and other medical interventions regardless of where an outbreak occurs.
Kaseya disclosed that clinical trials were ongoing for vaccine candidates, including one developed in Egypt for the Bundibugyo strain.
He added that the Africa CDC had collaborated with authorities in the DRC and Uganda to support clinical trials and compassionate use of a vaccine targeting the Zaire strain of Ebola.
The agency chief maintained that Africa had the scientific expertise and human resources needed to develop and manufacture vaccines, medicines and diagnostic tools, urging the continent to strengthen its pharmaceutical and public health capabilities.
Nigeria intensifies containment measures
The Federal Government confirmed Nigeria’s first case of Bundibugyo virus disease in the Federal Capital Territory on October 20.
According to the World Health Organization, 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.
Laboratory tests confirmed the infection on October 20, prompting authorities to isolate the patient and intensify contact tracing.
The WHO said 44 contacts had been identified for monitoring as health officials worked to prevent further transmission. Surveillance and infection prevention measures were also being strengthened at the health facility where the patient initially received care.
Meanwhile, the Senate has called on the Federal Government to provide emergency funding for disease surveillance and strengthen health screening at international airports, seaports and designated land borders.
The House of Representatives also urged increased public awareness and preparations for isolation facilities to support the national response.
In a separate measure, the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development directed the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria to place 46 identified contacts of the patient on a no-fly list for at least 21 days.
Health authorities continue to investigate the source of the infection and monitor people who may have been exposed to the virus.
The WHO has urged countries in the region to maintain heightened surveillance, strengthen infection prevention and control in health facilities, and ensure that suspected cases are detected and investigated promptly.
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