Abuja Ebola Patient Suffers Organ Failure as FG Tracks Contacts

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The medical condition of a foreign diplomat diagnosed with Ebola in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has deteriorated into multi-organ failure, as federal and state health agencies scale up surveillance, contact tracing, and emergency measures to prevent a wider outbreak.

The Director of Public Health Laboratory Service at the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), Dr. Olajumoke Babatunde, disclosed the update during an emergency response meeting on Wednesday in Abuja. Official authorities withheld the identity and nationality of the patient.

Dr. Babatunde confirmed that three separate levels of molecular testing validated the infection as the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, the same strain currently linked to active cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

First identified during a 2007 outbreak in Uganda, the Bundibugyo species spreads through direct contact with blood, bodily fluids, or contaminated materials of an infected person. Health authorities emphasized that asymptomatic individuals do not transmit the virus through casual contact.

Meanwhile, state governments have activated heightened border and community tracking protocols. In Anambra State, health officials disclosed that 40 persons of interest have been tracked; 33 have successfully completed their mandatory monitoring period and received clearance, while seven remain under active follow-up as of October 20, 2026.