Nigeria confirms the first case of Ebola in more than a decade. 44 people are being monitored after a patient in Abuja became infected

Nigeria confirmed on Tuesday, October 20, in Abuja, the country’s first recorded case of Ebola in more than a decade. The patient is a Ugandan national who arrived in Nigeria’s capital on October 5 after a stopover in Addis Ababa and began showing symptoms two days later.

The woman went to a private hospital on October 11 with malaria-like symptoms. She was tested for Ebola on October 19 after doctors learned that she had traveled through an area affected by the outbreak. The diagnosis was confirmed the following day, and the patient was isolated and is receiving treatment.

Authorities have identified 44 people who may have been exposed, most of them healthcare workers. The contacts include the patient’s husband, a Swiss national. Passengers who traveled with the woman to Nigeria are also being sought, although authorities do not believe she had symptoms during the flight.

The current outbreak began in May in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where more than 9,500 infections and 4,646 deaths have been reported. The virus is the Ebola Bundibugyo variant, for which there is still no authorized vaccine or approved specific treatment. Abuja is a major regional transportation hub, heightening fears that the disease could spread across West Africa.