Nigeria has evacuated its first confirmed Ebola patient to Switzerland for further treatment, as health authorities continue to monitor 53 contacts linked to the imported case.
The 42-year-old Ugandan-born woman, who is married to a Swiss diplomat, departed Abuja aboard a medical evacuation aircraft at about 6am on Monday, according to the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate.
Pate confirmed the evacuation in a post on X, saying the patient left Nigeria with his approval.
“I confirm that, with my approval, earlier this morning, the index case for Nigeria’s first imported Ebola virus disease departed Abuja for Switzerland,” he said.
The patient, who was diagnosed with the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus disease, was flown out through the private jet section of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
Footage from the airport showed a convoy of ambulances and diplomatic vehicles arriving from the city centre before entering the airport’s private aviation area. Airport officials cordoned off the section as arrangements for the evacuation proceeded.
Her husband accompanied her to Switzerland and was reported to be asymptomatic.
Pate said the patient’s clinical condition had improved considerably before her departure. She was stable, conscious and able to communicate, while her laboratory test results were approaching baseline levels.
However, the minister cautioned that her improvement did not necessarily mean she was no longer infectious, stressing that strict public health protocols remained in place.
He commended the medical team responsible for treating the patient and the public health personnel who coordinated the evacuation, adding that further updates would be provided after the patient and her husband arrived safely.
The evacuation comes as the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention intensifies efforts to prevent further transmission of the virus.
As of October 25, health authorities had identified 53 primary contacts linked to the confirmed case, up from the 44 initially reported. The contacts were being monitored for symptoms as part of the country’s containment measures.
Nigeria confirmed its first Ebola case on October 20 after the woman tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain in Abuja. She had travelled from Uganda to Nigeria before developing symptoms on October 7 and reportedly sought medical attention at a private health facility in Abuja on October 11.
Following confirmation of the infection, the NCDC activated contact tracing, laboratory testing and infection prevention measures at healthcare facilities.
The agency also expanded health declaration requirements for international arrivals from all countries, while strengthening surveillance at five priority international airports in Lagos, Abuja, Enugu, Kano and Port Harcourt.
The measures involve collaboration with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Port Health Services, immigration, customs and other agencies.
The expanded surveillance follows concerns that infected travellers could enter the country before developing symptoms, given that the incubation period for Bundibugyo virus disease ranges from two to 21 days.
The Nigerian case comes amid a wider outbreak of the disease declared in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in May 2026. Kenya has also reported nine cases.
Nigeria previously recorded an Ebola outbreak in 2014 after an infected traveller from Liberia arrived in Lagos.
The outbreak resulted in 20 cases, including eight deaths, before it was declared over in October of that year.
The NCDC has urged Nigerians to remain vigilant, cooperate with public health officials and rely on credible sources for information as containment efforts continue.
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