A woman who recently traveled from Uganda has tested positive in Abuja, prompting contact tracing and heightened health surveillance.

Abuja, Nigeria — Nigeria has confirmed its first Ebola case in about a decade after a woman who recently travelled through Uganda tested positive for the virus in Abuja, according to health authorities.

The patient arrived in Nigeria on October 5 and began experiencing symptoms two days later. She sought medical attention at a private health facility in Abuja on October 11 before laboratory tests confirmed Bundibugyo Ebola virus disease on October 20.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said the woman has been placed in isolation and is receiving medical care.

Health authorities have identified 44 people who may have been exposed to the virus and are monitoring them as investigations continue into the source of the infection.

Nigeria Begins Ebola Contact Tracing After Abuja Case

Nigerian health officials are tracing the patient’s movements to identify anyone who may have come into contact with her during travel or while receiving medical treatment.

The 44 identified contacts include people who may have been exposed in healthcare and travel settings.

Authorities are also reviewing the patient’s travel history to establish whether additional people require monitoring.

Health Minister Muhammad Ali Pate said Nigeria was prepared to respond to the case, citing the country’s experience in containing the 2014 Ebola outbreak.

Nigeria’s response during that outbreak involved extensive contact tracing, isolation of infected patients and coordinated public health surveillance.

Health Officials Investigate Patient’s Travel History Through Uganda

The patient’s recent travel through Uganda has become part of the investigation into how she contracted the virus.

However, Ugandan authorities have cautioned that travelling through the country does not necessarily mean the infection occurred there.

Uganda was declared free of its latest outbreak in August after completing 42 consecutive days without a new confirmed case.

Nigerian and Ugandan health officials are continuing investigations to determine where the woman may have been exposed.

The source of the infection has not yet been established.

Regional Ebola Outbreak Raises Cross-Border Concerns

The case comes amid reports of a wider Bundibugyo Ebola virus disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which began in May.

Figures attributed to the WHO indicate that the DRC has recorded more than 9,500 confirmed cases and 4,600 confirmed deaths.

Cases have also been reported in Kenya, while Uganda experienced an earlier outbreak.

The developments have increased attention on cross-border disease surveillance, particularly among countries connected by regional and international travel.

For Nigeria, the immediate priority is to monitor identified contacts, investigate the patient’s movements and detect any additional infections.

Health authorities have not established where the patient contracted the virus, and investigations remain ongoing.