Nigeria has confirmed its first case of Ebola disease as Kenya records an increase in infections to nine, raising concerns over the spread of the virus across the region.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed one case in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Tuesday, October 20, involving a woman who recently arrived in the country on an international flight from Uganda.
The patient received treatment at a private hospital in the FCT for several days before her infection was confirmed. She has since been placed in isolation and is receiving medical care.
Nigerian health authorities have launched contact tracing, identifying 44 close contacts, including healthcare workers, patients, caregivers and travel contacts.
A panoramic view of a representation of the Ebola Virus.
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NFID
The case comes as Kenya continues to respond to an outbreak of Ebola Bundibugyo virus, with the Ministry of Health confirming that the number of infections had risen to nine as of Tuesday evening.
Kenya's latest confirmed case involves a 24-year-old man who had already been placed in quarantine after being identified as a contact of the first patient, who died. He developed symptoms while in quarantine and tested positive on October 19 before being placed on treatment.
Health Director General Patrick Amoth said all nine infections in Kenya belonged to one known cluster, with no evidence of transmission beyond the group.
“The new case is a known contact of the index case and was already in quarantine when he fell ill. All nine cases belong to one cluster, and as of today there is no evidence of transmission outside this group,” Amoth said.
The government has expanded contact tracing, with 134 of the 135 identified contacts traced and placed in quarantine.
Meanwhile, Uganda has denied having any confirmed active Ebola cases following reports that the Nigerian patient had travelled through the country.
In a statement issued on October 20, Uganda's Ministry of Health said preliminary information showed that the woman had travelled to eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for business before transiting through Uganda in early October.
Ugandan health authorities said the woman had no symptoms while passing through the country and developed them after arriving in Nigeria.
The ministry cautioned that travel through Uganda did not establish where the infection occurred, adding that the location of exposure remained under investigation.
A photo collage of a test tube labelled ebola and Nairobi in the background, October 14, 2026.
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Kenyans.co.ke