Nigeria confirms Ebola case in capital Abuja, its first in more than a decade

Summary

Nigeria has confirmed an Ebola case in Abuja, its capital, after a woman who arrived from Uganda tested positive for the virus, according to the health ministry. She began showing symptoms on 7 October and was admitted to a hospital in Abuja four days later, where she was later diagnosed with Ebola. It is unclear when she arrived in Nigeria, Africa's most populous country. CBC reports it is Nigeria's first Ebola case in more than a decade and the fourth African country affected by the outbreak, which health officials have described as the fastest-spreading on record. France 24 reports the outbreak originated in DR Congo in May and has spread to Kenya and Uganda before Nigeria.

Timeline

1. CBC

   20 Oct 2026, 23:05 UTCSource ↗

   CBC reports that Nigeria's government said on Tuesday there was an Ebola case in the capital, Abuja, after laboratory tests confirmed the viral infection, the first in Nigeria in more than a decade.

2. The Guardian

   21 Oct 2026, 00:14 UTCSource ↗

   The Guardian reports that Nigeria confirmed an Ebola case in Abuja after a woman who arrived from Uganda tested positive, according to the health ministry, and that it is unclear when she arrived in Nigeria.

3. France 24

   21 Oct 2026, 13:28 UTCSource ↗

   France 24 reports that Nigeria has announced its first Ebola case, a woman who travelled from Uganda and was admitted to a private hospital in Abuja, amid rapid spread of the outbreak in the region.