The Federal Government has confirmed an imported case of Ebola virus disease in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, with 44 contacts identified as health authorities intensify efforts to prevent further spread.

Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, disclosed on Tuesday that the patient, a woman who recently travelled from Uganda, developed symptoms after returning to Nigeria on September 7. Laboratory tests subsequently confirmed the infection, and she is currently receiving medical care in isolation.

Pate said contact tracing and surveillance had commenced, with the Federal Ministry of Health, FCT Health Secretariat, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, and other partners collaborating to contain the outbreak. Surveillance has also been strengthened at entry points nationwide.

The minister urged healthcare facilities to remain vigilant and advised Nigerians to practise good hygiene, monitor symptoms such as fever, weakness, headache and diarrhoea, and cooperate with public health officials.

Drawing on Nigeria’s experience in containing the 2014 Ebola outbreak, Pate assured the public that the situation was being managed and pledged timely updates as containment efforts continue.