Nigeria’s index Ebola case has been evacuated to Switzerland for further treatment.
The 42-year-old woman, who was diagnosed with the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus disease, was airlifted aboard a medical aircraft from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja at about 6 am on Monday.
The patient, who is the wife of a Swiss diplomat, was conveyed from the Abuja city centre in an ambulance convoy, with diplomatic vehicles entering the airport’s private jet area.
The development comes as health authorities intensify contact tracing, with 53 contacts linked to the confirmed case identified and isolated.
Ali Pate, coordinating minister of health and social welfare, confirmed that the patient departed Abuja for Switzerland alongside her husband, who has remained asymptomatic.
“I confirm that, with my approval, earlier this morning, the index case for Nigeria’s first imported Ebola virus disease departed Abuja for Switzerland,” Pate said in an X post on Monday.
Pate said the patient’s clinical condition had improved significantly. He described her as stable, conscious and able to communicate, with her laboratory test results approaching baseline levels.
He noted that the improvement did not mean she was no longer infectious, adding that strict public health protocols remained in place.
The minister commended the clinical staff who treated the patient and the public health personnel who coordinated the evacuation in line with established safety measures.
He added that further updates would be provided after the patient and her husband arrived safely at their destination.
Pate also reassured Nigerians that public health measures were ongoing to contain the imported virus, urging citizens to remain vigilant and rely on credible sources of information.
Nigeria’s Index Ebola Case
Nigeria confirmed its first case of Ebola virus disease on October 20, after a 42-year-old woman tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain of the virus in Abuja.
The patient had travelled from Uganda to Nigeria before developing symptoms on October 7.
She reportedly sought medical attention at a private health facility in Abuja on October 11, before laboratory tests confirmed the infection.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) subsequently activated public health response measures, including contact tracing, laboratory testing and infection prevention measures at healthcare facilities.
As of October 25, the agency had identified 53 primary contacts linked to the confirmed case, up from the 44 initially reported. The contacts were being monitored for symptoms as health authorities worked to prevent further transmission.
The NCDC also expanded health declaration requirements for international arrivals from all countries after initially limiting the measures to travellers from selected countries linked to the outbreak.
The agency said it was working with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Port Health Services, immigration, customs and other relevant agencies to strengthen surveillance at the country’s five priority international airports in Lagos, Abuja, Enugu, Kano and Port Harcourt.
The measures followed concerns that infected travellers could enter the country before developing symptoms, as the incubation period for Bundibugyo virus disease ranges from two to 21 days.
The current case comes amid a wider outbreak of Bundibugyo virus disease declared in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in May 2026. Kenya has also reported nine cases of the virus.
Nigeria previously recorded an Ebola outbreak in 2014 after an infected traveller from Liberia arrived in Lagos. The country recorded 20 cases, including eight deaths, before the outbreak was declared over in October of that year.
The NCDC has urged Nigerians to remain vigilant, cooperate with public health officials and rely on credible sources of information.
