By Ghazali Ibrahim
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has identified two suspected cases of Ebola disease in Nigeria’s North-East region, raising fresh concerns over the country’s efforts to contain the virus.
The agency disclosed this in an update on Saturday, October 31, 2026, noting that both individuals had been isolated while investigations and laboratory tests were ongoing.
According to the NCDC, contact identification and listing had also commenced to establish people who might have been exposed to the suspected cases.
The agency, however, cautioned that the classification of the individuals as suspected cases does not mean they have tested positive for Ebola, stressing that confirmation would depend on laboratory results.
The development comes 11 days after Nigeria confirmed its first Ebola case in more than a decade, involving a 42-year-old Swiss woman who tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain after travelling from Uganda to Abuja.
The woman was subsequently isolated and treated by Nigerian health workers before being evacuated to Switzerland for further medical care alongside her husband, who was identified as a close contact.
The NCDC had earlier disclosed that 62 contacts linked to the confirmed case had been identified and placed under monitoring.
Meanwhile, the agency has urged Nigerians to maintain proper hand hygiene, practise enhanced sanitation and comply with preventive guidelines issued by public health authorities.
It added that further updates would be provided as verified information becomes available.
