'It has gotten worse' - NCDC gives update on Ebola patient’s condition

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has provided a critical update on the health status of the Ebola patient currently isolated in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
 

Speaking during an emergency briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, the Director of Public Health Laboratory Services at the NCDC, Olajumoke Babatunde, disclosed that the patient's condition has deteriorated into multi-organ failure.

The NCDC confirmed that the case involves the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus—the same variant driving the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, following three levels of confirmatory molecular testing.

"The patient’s condition has deteriorated. We did three levels of tests, but all were molecular. The strain was Bundibugyo," Babatunde stated.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has also verified the strain, noting that there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment for this variant.

According to public health officials, the patient is a woman who travelled from Uganda to Abuja on October 3, 2026, developing symptoms on October 7 and seeking medical care at a private FCT hospital on October 11 before Ebola was suspected.

Dr. Odianosen Ehiakhamen, Incident Manager of the National Ebola Response, noted that 44 close contacts—comprising healthcare workers, patients, caregivers, and travel contacts—have been identified and are currently under active surveillance and monitoring.