Nigeria's index Ebola patient and spouse evacuated to Switzerland

The index patient for Nigeria's first imported Ebola virus disease case has been flown out of Abuja to Switzerland along with her husband. The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, confirmed the evacuation on his X handle on Monday.

Pate stated that the patient was clinically much improved, stable, conscious, and communicating at the time of departure, with her laboratory test results closing towards baseline. He noted that strict protocols were put in place because she could still transmit the virus. Her husband remained asymptomatic during the evacuation.

Contact Tracing and Government Response

According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of contacts linked to the index case has risen to 53. These contacts include healthcare workers, domestic staff, and the patient's spouse. The NCDC stated that the index patient is a 42-year-old woman who returned from Uganda through Addis Ababa on October 3, 2026, via an international flight to Abuja.

The patient became symptomatic four days later and visited a private health facility on October 10, before moving to another facility on October 11 where she was admitted. The NCDC received notification on October 19, and laboratory confirmation was made on October 20. Symptoms included fever, diarrhoea, generalised body aches, and sore throat, with no bleeding reported.

According to Punch, the Federal Government had previously confirmed the Ebola case in the Federal Capital Territory on October 20. The Director-General of the NCDC, Dr. Jide Idris, urged Nigerians to cooperate fully with public health officials for contact monitoring lasting 21 days. He also advised healthcare facilities to strengthen infection prevention and control measures.