Uganda has said it has no confirmed active Ebola cases while stressing that the transit of a Nigerian woman through the country does not establish where she contracted the virus.
The Ugandan Ministry of Health said preliminary information indicated that the woman travelled to eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo for business and passed through Uganda in early October without showing symptoms.
She reportedly developed symptoms after arriving in Nigeria, where health authorities confirmed her Ebola infection.
“The location of exposure remains under investigation,” the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday, adding that transit through Uganda alone was insufficient to determine the source of the infection.
The clarification comes as Nigerian health authorities intensify efforts to prevent further transmission following confirmation of the imported case in the Federal Capital Territory.
Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, announced the infection on Tuesday. The patient is receiving treatment in isolation at a private hospital, while 44 people identified as possible contacts are being monitored.
The contacts include healthcare workers, patients, caregivers and people linked to the woman’s travel.
Uganda’s health ministry said it had yet to receive detailed information from the Nigerian government about the woman’s travel itinerary and clinical history. It said the information would help investigators determine the likely source of exposure and establish whether further contact tracing was necessary.
The ministry added that it was working with relevant agencies to strengthen screening and public health controls at points of entry. Limited arrangements for humanitarian and diplomatic movements had also been maintained.
It urged residents to practise regular handwashing, use hand sanitiser and follow verified updates from official channels.
The Nigerian case comes amid an Ebola outbreak linked to the Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with infections reported elsewhere in the region.
Kenya, which confirmed an imported case in early October involving a traveller who passed through Uganda, reported a ninth case on Tuesday. Its health ministry said all nine cases belonged to one known cluster, adding that the eight surviving patients were responding well to supportive care.
Uganda also experienced Ebola infections earlier in 2026 but subsequently declared its outbreak over after completing the required period without a new confirmed case.
The latest developments have raised concerns about cross-border transmission as health authorities work to establish how the Nigerian patient became infected.
Ebola spreads through direct contact with the blood or other bodily fluids of an infected person, or contaminated materials. Symptoms may include fever, headache, severe weakness, vomiting and diarrhoea.
Investigations into the Nigerian case and the woman’s movements before she became ill are continuing.
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