Africa | 22 October 2026
The story in brief
Nigeria, a country in western Africa, has confirmed its first Ebola case in more than ten years. Health workers are taking steps to prevent the disease from spreading.
Who is involved?
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Nigeria's Health Ministry: Leading the response to the Ebola case.
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Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention: An organisation helping African countries respond to disease outbreaks.
What happened?
On 20 October, medical tests confirmed that a woman in Nigeria's capital, Abuja, had Ebola.
The woman had recently travelled through Uganda, another African country.
Health officials do not yet know where she became infected.
She is receiving medical care in a separate hospital area to help prevent the disease from spreading.
What is the background?
Ebola is a serious illness caused by a virus. It can be deadly.
The current outbreak began in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in May 2026.
Cases have also been reported in Uganda and Kenya.
Why does it matter?
Health workers have identified 44 people who had contact with the woman.
This does not mean those people have Ebola.
Finding people who may have been exposed helps prevent further infections.
What happens next?
Health workers will continue checking people who may have been exposed to the virus.
They are also trying to contact passengers who travelled on the same flights as the woman.
Source: Reuters, 21 October 2026