World Health Organization, WHO, has advised against imposing travel or trade restrictions as Nigeria confirms its first imported case of Ebola virus.
Instead, the world body says it will continue to closely monitor, and where necessary, verify travel and trade measures in relation to the event in Nigeria.
WHO gave the warning in a statement on Tuesday as Nigerian Government confirmed one imported case of Bundibugyo Ebola virus in the Federal Capital Territory.
The UN health agency stated that risk assessment was being regularly reassessed to incorporate the latest developments related to this event.
Nigeria becomes the fifth country to detect the virus since an outbreak of the disease was declared in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on May 15, 2026.
Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare says the patient is a woman with a recent travel history to Uganda.
Her symptoms began on October 7th, four days after arriving in Nigeria, and she sought care at a private facility in Abuja on October 11th.
Bundibugyo virus was confirmed on October 20th, and she remains in isolation under medical care while investigations continue into her exposure history.
The UN health agency stated that infection prevention and control measures were being ramped up in the private health facility where the patient sought care.
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It further noted that the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention had activated its incident management system to coordinate response.
Rapid identification of cases, timely follow-up of contacts and effective infection prevention and control are critical to contain the spread of the virus.
In support, WHO and partners are working closely with health authorities to strengthen control measures, including case investigation, contact tracing, infection prevention and control, and provision of essential supplies, including Personal Protective Equipment, PPE, for health workers.
The world body also stressed the need for heightened monitoring at points of entry, with response plans in place, noting that sustained readiness is essential to detect cases early, prevent onward transmission and protect health workers and communities.
Following the confirmation of an Ebola Bundibugyo case in Nigeria, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Africa CDC, has called for urgent international support for the country.
The Director-General, Dr Jean Kaseya, made the call through the agency’s official X handle on Tuesday where he urged partners to provide immediate funding, medical supplies, diagnostics and trained emergency responders.
The call followed a discussion with Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, who informed him of the confirmed case
The Africa CDC chief urged the international community to provide immediate and flexible financing, medical supplies, diagnostic equipment, trained responders and stronger community-based surveillance to contain the outbreak.
He warned that the outbreak must not be allowed to spread to additional countries or continue for another year, emphasising that delays in response could lead to more deaths.
In addition, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, NCDC, has urged Nigerians to remain calm and rely on verified information following the confirmation of an Ebola disease case in the Federal Capital Territory.
It urged members of the public to report suspected cases promptly, stressing that early reporting was critical to saving lives.
The agency advised Nigerians to seek information from credible sources and avoid spreading unverified reports about the outbreak.
NCDC also provided its 24-hour toll-free line, 6232, for reporting suspected cases.
NAN
