The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has identified two suspected cases of Ebola disease in the North-East region of the country, with both individuals placed in isolation.
The agency disclosed this in a statement posted on its official X account on Saturday, adding that contact identification and listing were ongoing while laboratory tests were being conducted.
It stressed that the cases had not been confirmed, noting that the final determination would depend on laboratory results.
“Two suspected cases of Ebola disease have been identified in Nigeria’s North-East region. Both individuals have been isolated, contact identification and listing are ongoing, and laboratory testing is being conducted,” the NCDC said.
“Being classified as suspected cases does not mean they are confirmed Ebola cases; confirmation is subject to laboratory results.
“The public is advised to maintain good hand hygiene, practise enhanced sanitation and follow guidance from public health authorities. Further updates will be provided as verified information becomes available.”
The latest development comes days after the NCDC announced the identification of another contact, an e-hailing driver linked to Nigeria’s confirmed Ebola case, bringing the number of primary contacts to 54.
The Director-General of the NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, had disclosed this during an interview with Channels Television on October 26, adding that efforts were ongoing to identify secondary contacts.
“So we are not out of the woods yet until we are sure that we have all the contacts, and they have been followed up. So we are still not out of the woods; because the index case is out doesn’t mean that we don’t have that,” he said.
The Federal Government had announced Nigeria’s first confirmed case of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola on October 20, 2026, in Abuja.
The patient was identified as a woman who reportedly had a recent travel history to Uganda and returned to Nigeria on October 7 with symptoms of the disease.
However, Ugandan authorities denied reports of an Ebola outbreak in the East African country.
The index patient was subsequently flown to Switzerland alongside her husband.
