The Federal Government has said genomic analysis shows that the Ebola virus identified in Nigeria is genetically related to a virus detected in a case in Kenya.
Government however said further investigations are needed to determine whether the two cases are epidemiologically linked.
Muhammad Pate, coordinating minister of health and social welfare, said the findings provide important scientific information but stressed that genetic similarity alone does not establish a direct transmission link between the cases.
The analysis was conducted by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and the Institute of Genomics and Global Health (IGH) at Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, led by Christian Happi.
Pate emphasised the need for further investigations to establish whether the cases are connected.
The genomic finding came as the search for the source of Nigeria’s Ebola case has been complicated by conflicting accounts of the patient’s travel history.
Nigeria confirmed its first case on October 20 in a woman who had travelled from Uganda to Abuja.
Ugandan authorities said the woman had travelled to eastern DRC, where the current Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak began, before passing through Uganda on her way back to Nigeria.
Switzerland’s foreign ministry, however, said the woman, the Ugandan-born wife of a Swiss diplomat based in Abuja, travelled to Uganda with her husband but neither visited the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Swiss authorities said she was believed to have contracted the virus during her stay in Uganda.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said they had not received verified information confirming that the patient travelled to DRC. WHO said investigations were continuing to establish the likely source of infection and reconstruct her travel and exposure history.
Health authorities are also examining a possible connection with Kenya’s first confirmed Ebola patient, who travelled through Uganda’s Entebbe International Airport. The Nigerian patient and the Kenyan man reportedly travelled from the airport on the same day, October 3.
Pate, howevee urged Nigerians to remain calm and vigilant, observe recommended safety precautions, follow official public health guidance, and avoid spreading misinformation or unverified reports.
He advised the public to obtain information from recognised health authorities, including the NCDC, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the World Health Organisation (WHO), and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
According to a statement from the ministry of health and social welfare on Saturday, the contacts identified through investigations into the confirmed Ebola virus disease (EVD) case in the Federal Capital Territory remain under active monitoring, adding that Some have tested negative, while results for others are still pending.
The government said it was strengthening surveillance, laboratory capacity, case management, risk communication, and infection prevention and control measures as part of efforts to contain the disease.
It added that healthcare facilities have also been reminded to promptly identify and report suspected cases to public health authorities.
In a related development, Jide Idris, the NCDC director-general said the agency would begin issuing brief daily public updates from October 24, 2026, in line with its public health guidelines.
The updates are intended to provide regular information as the situation develops.
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