The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has said the 62 contacts identified following the confirmation of an imported Ebola case in the country are expected to complete monitoring by November 13, 2026.
The agency disclosed this in its latest Ebola Disease Situation Report, stating that the contacts were scheduled to complete follow-up at different times between October 31 and November 13.
The development indicates that November 13 is the latest projected date for completing the monitoring of all contacts currently identified in connection with the confirmed case, although surveillance and contact-tracing activities remain ongoing.
According to the report, “Sixty-Two (62) contacts” had been identified, adding that “Contacts are expected to complete follow-up by November. Expected completion dates range from 31 Oct to 13 Nov 2026.”
The NCDC, however, did not provide a breakdown of the contacts according to their individual monitoring completion dates.
It said contact tracing and monitoring were continuing, while additional contact tracers had been mapped and trained to strengthen surveillance.
The agency also disclosed plans to “engage and assess additional contacts for possible evacuation to the quarantine facility” and “continue follow-up of contacts in quarantine.”
It said the scope and strategy for identifying contacts had been reviewed and expanded, while the case definitions for Ebola disease had also been reviewed to improve the identification and management of suspected infections.
The report further listed plans to review guidelines on contact tracing, self-quarantine, self-care kits and the Ebola call protocol, as well as develop an Ebola disease dashboard on the Surveillance Outbreak Response Management and Analysis System, SORMAS, to improve contact management.
On coordination, 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 said the implementation of prioritised response activities had continued across thematic areas, while the Incident Action Plan had been finalised.
The agency added that a high-level stakeholder meeting had been held with partner agencies to strengthen coordination, resource mobilisation and accountability in the response.
Among its next steps, the NCDC listed the continuation of coordination across One Health sectors and partners, implementation of the Incident Action Plan and strengthened preparedness in states considered at high risk.
On laboratory investigations, the agency disclosed that 18 samples had been tested since the outbreak was confirmed, with one positive result and 17 negative results.
It stated that the positive sample was from the index case, while the 17 negative samples comprised 15 collected from contacts of the confirmed patient and two from suspected cases.
The report said, “Laboratory confirmation reported on 20th October 2026,” adding that “Phylogenetic sequencing concluded by NCDC NRL & The African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID).”
It also disclosed that standard operating procedures and job aids had been validated for sample reception, molecular detection and genomic sequencing.
The agency said it would maintain uninterrupted Ebola testing and confirmation at the National Reference Laboratory, with plans to expand testing capacity to Lagos.
It also listed the need to maintain diagnostic testing and laboratory records, share reports of genomic sequencing conducted on the confirmed case sample and pre-position additional laboratory reagents and commodities across the national network of laboratories.
On case management, the NCDC said it had further engaged the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital on its readiness to serve as an isolation and treatment centre.
It disclosed that a needs assessment and optimisation of the hospital had been concluded, while the FCT team had been engaged on clinical care and psychosocial support for contacts in quarantine facilities.
The agency added that it had secured a dedicated ambulance and placed it on standby for safe patient referral.
It also reported that an inspection and assessment of the isolation centre had been conducted and that the medical evacuation of the index case had been supervised, with measures taken to protect healthcare workers.
Among its next steps, the NCDC said it would review and disseminate approved procedures and guidelines covering triage, isolation, supportive care, psychosocial support and discharge.
It also planned to establish referral mechanisms for suspected cases, from the point of detection to designated treatment centres, while identifying and optimising treatment facilities in states with designated points of entry.
On infection prevention and control, the report disclosed that needs assessments had been conducted across states and health facilities, while healthcare workers were being sensitised on appropriate infection prevention measures.
It said engagement had also been held with the facility managing the index case on compliance with infection prevention and control guidelines, including standard and transmission-based precautions.
The agency listed refresher training for environmental health officers and terminal cleaning at the residence of the index case as part of its response activities.
It further planned to implement an infection prevention and control ring strategy across concentric perimeters to strengthen screening and isolation measures, as well as assess surge capacity for isolation at Karu General Hospital in the FCT.
Nigeria confirmed its first case of Ebola disease in the current outbreak on October 20, 2026, after laboratory tests detected the Bundibugyo virus in a woman who had travelled to the country 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 laboratory confirmation on October 20 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 subsequently evacuated to Switzerland on October 26 for further medical care, alongside her husband, who was identified as a close contact.
Meanwhile, two additional suspected Ebola cases identified in Yola, Adamawa State, were ruled out following two rounds of laboratory testing, easing concerns about a possible spread of the infection to the North-East.
The NCDC Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, said the Adamawa State Public Health Emergency Operations Centre received a report in the early hours of October 30 following the identification of two individuals presenting symptoms suggestive of Ebola.
He said the individuals were immediately isolated, while samples were collected for laboratory investigations to establish the cause of their illnesses.
“Fortunately, the samples turned out negative for EBV after two rounds of testing,” Idris said.
Although the NCDC did not disclose the identities of the individuals, Premium Times reported on November 1 that they were a 34-year-old pilot and his wife, a medical doctor.
The newspaper, citing an internal memo from the Adamawa State Ministry of Health and Human Services, reported that the couple were admitted to the isolation centre of the Modibbo Adama University Teaching Hospital in Yola on October 29.
According to the report, the pilot developed symptoms on October 13, while his wife began experiencing similar symptoms on October 25.
The symptoms reportedly included fever, vomiting, fatigue, headache, cough, bleeding gums and nosebleeds.
Premium Times further reported that the pilot travelled to Kenya on October 14 for personal reasons and returned to Nigeria on October 25. A preliminary report from Yola North Local Government Area indicated that he had developed a fever before travelling and had received treatment for malaria.
The newspaper said the couple’s identities were withheld to protect their privacy.
Following the laboratory results, Idris clarified that there was no laboratory-confirmed Ebola case in Adamawa State, adding that the previously confirmed infection in the Federal Capital Territory remained the only confirmed case in Nigeria.
He commended the Adamawa State Commissioner for Health and his team for their response, assuring that the NCDC would continue providing technical support to strengthen surveillance and response operations.
The development came as Nigeria continued to strengthen contact tracing and surveillance following the confirmation of the imported case in Abuja.
The NCDC had earlier explained that contacts were being monitored for 21 days from their last possible exposure, covering healthcare workers, patients, caregivers, household members and other individuals who might have had relevant contact with the infected person.
In an update on October 25, Idris said the number of contacts could change as investigations progressed, urging anyone contacted by public health officials to cooperate with surveillance teams.
Isolation centre, border surveillance
The Kaduna State Government has activated its infectious disease hospital and intensified surveillance across health facilities as part of measures to prevent and respond to a possible Ebola outbreak.
The Director of Public Health in the state Ministry of Health, Dr Sadique Abubakar, disclosed this in an interview with our correspondent on Sunday, saying the government had also strengthened community sensitisation and equipped selected hospitals with essential medical supplies.
Abubakar said the state had completed a readiness assessment for the Ebola Viral Disease response to identify gaps, improve coordination and strengthen its capacity to contain any possible outbreak.
“We have been doing a lot to ensure that we are ready. One of the things we have been intensifying is public sensitisation through various media, including radio and television programmes.
“We have also been engaging communities through our community engagement office. Our rapid response teams are active, and our public health emergency response structures are in place,” he said.
The public health director said the readiness assessment was aimed at evaluating the state’s preparedness and identifying areas requiring improvement.
“In fact, we have just completed a readiness assessment for the Ebola Viral Disease response in Kaduna State. The assessment was conducted to evaluate our preparedness, identify gaps and improve coordination so that we can respond effectively if the need arises,” he added.
He said the state had activated its infectious disease hospital in Mando, where isolation facilities had been prepared, while drugs, medical commodities and personal protective equipment had been provided.
According to him, the supplies had also been made available to some selected secondary healthcare facilities to ensure that the state could respond promptly to any suspected case.
On contact tracing, Abubakar said the index case had been moved out of the country, while identified contacts were being closely monitored by the relevant authorities.
He, however, said there were no identified contacts in Kaduna State, adding that the government was strengthening preparedness at all levels of the healthcare system.
Also, the Kano State Centre for Disease Control has strengthened surveillance at border points and motor parks to prevent possible spread of the disease.
In an advisory signed by the Director General of the KNCDC, Prof. Muhammad Abbas and issued by its Public Health Emergency Operations Centre on Saturday, 31st October 2026, the centre said it had activated its emergency operations centre and directed surveillance personnel to intensify screening of travellers at border points and motor parks.
“The KNCDC has instructed health personnel to screen travellers for symptoms including fever, fatigue, vomiting, diarrhoea and unexplained bleeding, while asking about their travel history and whether they had experienced any of the symptoms within the previous 21 days,” it said.
The centre directed that anyone suspected of having the disease should be isolated in a designated area without being handled directly, while the Local Government Disease Surveillance and Notification Officer and State PHEOC should be notified immediately.
The agency also mandated surveillance teams to provide handwashing facilities, soap and 0.05 per cent chlorine solution at border and motor park locations, while ensuring the use of appropriate personal protective equipment.
It further instructed local government surveillance officers to submit daily reports, including zero reporting when no suspected cases are identified.
The KNCDC called for collaboration with traditional rulers, motor park leaders, as well as the National Union of Road Transport Workers to support surveillance and prompt reporting of suspected cases.
It also warned against stigmatising travellers from the North-East or any other part of the country, urging health personnel to remain professional and respectful during screening.
The state agency said it would deploy supervision teams to border points and motor parks to monitor compliance and provide support.