Nigeria’s Ebola Index Case Evacuated to Switzerland After Clinical Improvement

Nigeria’s index case of imported Ebola virus disease has been evacuated from Abuja to Switzerland following significant clinical improvement, the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, has confirmed.

Pate said the patient, who was diagnosed with Ebola after returning to Nigeria from Uganda, was stable, conscious and communicating at the time of her evacuation on Monday.

According to the minister, the patient’s laboratory results were also approaching baseline levels, indicating significant clinical improvement.

He, however, cautioned that improvement in the patient’s condition does not necessarily mean she is no longer infectious.

“This does not mean she is not still infectious, hence the strict protocols in place,” Pate said.

The patient was evacuated alongside her spouse, who remains asymptomatic.

Pate said strict public health measures were put in place to ensure that the evacuation was conducted safely and in accordance with established protocols for the movement of patients with infectious diseases.

He commended the clinical and public health teams involved in the patient’s care and evacuation, noting that their efforts ensured compliance with the required public health measures.

“I thank all the various clinical staff for the high quality care they provided the patient as well as the public health personnel who ensured the evacuation was carried out in line with best public health measures for such evacuations,” the minister said.

Pate added that further updates would be provided after the patient and her spouse arrived safely at their destination.

“All public health measures are continuing to ensure successful containment of the imported virus,” he said.

The minister also urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and obtain information about the outbreak only from credible sources.

NCDC Tracks 53 Contacts

The evacuation comes as the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) continues to monitor people who had contact with the index case.

The agency said the number of identified contacts linked to the case had risen to 53 as of October 24, 2026.

The contacts include healthcare workers, domestic staff and the patient’s spouse.

The NCDC also reported that a suspected Ebola case was recorded in Rivers State on October 23, but laboratory testing returned a negative result.

“Fifty-three contacts linked to the index case have so far been identified, categorized and followed up,” the agency said in its Ebola Disease Situation Report dated October 24.

How Nigeria’s Index Case Was Identified

The NCDC said the index case is a 42-year-old woman who returned to Nigeria from Uganda through Addis Ababa on October 3, 2026, arriving on an international flight in Abuja.

She developed symptoms four days after her arrival and subsequently sought medical attention at private health facilities.

According to the agency, she presented at one private facility on October 10 and another on October 11, where she was admitted.

The NCDC was notified on October 19, after which an in-depth case investigation was launched and samples were collected for laboratory testing.

The NCDC National Reference Laboratory confirmed the Ebola infection on October 20.

Symptoms reported at presentation included fever, diarrhoea, generalised body aches and sore throat. The agency said bleeding was not reported.

FG Steps Up Containment Efforts

Meanwhile, the Director-General of the NCDC, Dr. Jide Idris, has assured Nigerians that the Federal Government is fully committed to containing the imported Ebola case and preventing further transmission.

Idris said the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, NCDC, FCT health authorities and partners were deploying established public health systems and experienced personnel as part of the response.

“I recognize the concern that the confirmation of Ebola may have caused among Nigerians. Ebola is a serious disease, and we are handling this situation with the urgency it deserves,” he said.

According to him, Nigeria has a clear response plan and established public health systems that are being deployed to prevent further spread of the disease.

The authorities have continued contact tracing and monitoring as part of measures to contain the imported virus.

While the clinical condition of the index patient has improved significantly, health authorities have stressed that the development should not be interpreted as an end to the public health risk, as monitoring and containment measures remain ongoing.