UPDATED: Ebola: Nigeria Reports Two New Suspected Cases In North-east

 

The development comes 11 days after Nigeria confirmed its first case of Ebola disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus in the current regional outbreak.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has reported two new suspected cases of Ebola disease in Nigeria’s North-east region.

The agency disclosed this in an update posted on its official X account on Saturday, noting that both individuals had been isolated while contact identification and listing were ongoing.

“Laboratory testing is being conducted,” the NCDC said, adding that being classified as suspected cases does not mean the individuals have Ebola, as confirmation depends on laboratory results.

The agency urged Nigerians to maintain good hand hygiene, practise enhanced sanitation and follow guidance from public health authorities.

The development comes 11 days after Nigeria confirmed its first case of Ebola disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus.

The NCDC is yet to provide specific details on the states where the suspected cases were identified. In its post on X, the agency said, “Further updates will be provided as verified information becomes available.”

The NCDC Director-General Jide Idris in a post on Linkedin said contact tracing is also taking into account recent movements within the country to ensure all contacts are identified and monitored.

“We urge the public to avoid speculation or the spread of unverified information. Instead, we encourage everyone to reinforce basic but critical hygiene practices: frequent handwashing, use of alcohol-based sanitisers, and seeking immediate care at designated facilities if unusual symptoms arise,” Mr Idris noted.

Nigeria, regional outbreak
Nigeria is one of five countries that have detected Bundibugyo virus disease during the current outbreak, which began in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in May.

The outbreak has remained concentrated in the DRC but has spread beyond the country.

Nigeria’s first confirmed case of Ebola in 2026 was a woman who travelled from Uganda to Abuja and tested positive on 20 October. She was subsequently medically evacuated to Switzerland for continued treatment.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, had earlier said genomic analysis showed that the virus detected in the Nigerian patient was closely related to the strain identified in Kenya’s first imported case.

As of 28 October, WHO reported 10,274 confirmed cases and 4,992 confirmed deaths in the DRC. The agency also recorded nine confirmed cases and two deaths in Kenya, one confirmed case in Nigeria, 20 confirmed cases and two deaths in Uganda, and one imported case in France.

Overall, WHO reported 10,305 confirmed cases and 4,996 confirmed deaths across the affected countries.

SOURCE: PREMIUM TIMES