KAMPALA, Uganda — Uganda has identified the woman diagnosed with Ebola in Nigeria as a Nigerian national who travelled to the Democratic Republic of Congo before passing through Uganda.
The Ugandan government also denied having any active Ebola cases, saying investigators had not established where the woman contracted the virus.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, Uganda’s Ministry of Health said preliminary findings indicated that the woman had visited eastern Congo for business before travelling through Uganda earlier in the month.
The ministry said she had displayed no symptoms while in Uganda and had become ill after arriving in Nigeria.
“Travel through Uganda does not establish that infection occurred here. The location of exposure remains under investigation,” the ministry said.
The statement was signed by Charles Olaro, Uganda’s director-general of health services.
Ugandan authorities said they were awaiting further information from Nigeria to reconstruct the woman’s movements and identify any possible exposure to the virus.
“The Government of Nigeria is yet to provide detailed information on her travel itinerary and clinical history which will guide further investigations and any necessary contact tracing,” the ministry said.
Uganda maintained that it had no evidence of ongoing Ebola transmission within its territory.
“We wish to clarify that, as at the time of this statement, Uganda has NO confirmed active Ebola cases,” the statement said.
The ministry said it would strengthen health screening and surveillance at border crossings and other entry points while maintaining public-health precautions.
Uganda’s account also raised questions about the patient’s nationality.
While the Ugandan ministry identified her as Nigerian, a senior Nigerian public-health official said she was originally from Uganda in comments reported by Reuters.
The conflicting accounts have not been publicly reconciled.
Neither government has established the precise location where the woman became infected.
Nigeria Confirms Infection, Traces 44 Contacts
Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, announced that laboratory testing had confirmed an imported case of Ebola virus disease in Abuja.
The patient had recently arrived in Nigeria from Uganda and was subsequently admitted to a private hospital in the Federal Capital Territory.
According to the World Health Organization, the woman began experiencing symptoms on October 7 and sought medical attention on October 11.
Laboratory tests confirmed the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola on October 20.
The WHO said the patient remained in isolation and was receiving medical care.
Nigerian health authorities have identified 44 people who may have been exposed to the virus and are monitoring them for symptoms.
According to Reuters, most of those identified are healthcare workers. The woman’s husband, a Swiss national living with her in Abuja, is also among the contacts.
Public-health officials are examining her travel history and identifying passengers who may have shared flights with her.
Nigeria’s Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has activated emergency response arrangements to coordinate surveillance, contact tracing, and infection prevention measures.
Congo Outbreak Spreads Beyond Its Borders
The confirmed Nigerian case comes amid an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo that began in May.
The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, has spread beyond Congo, with infections also reported in Uganda, Kenya, and France.
Uganda recorded 20 confirmed cases in May and June, most associated with infections imported from Congo.
The country declared its outbreak over on July 28 after completing the required monitoring period without identifying further transmission.
Kenya has subsequently reported nine infections linked to a patient who travelled from Congo.
Nigeria’s confirmed case makes it the fifth country to report the Bundibugyo virus during the current outbreak, according to the WHO.
The organisation has urged countries across the region to strengthen surveillance, maintain laboratory testing capacity, and ensure that healthcare facilities can rapidly identify suspected infections.
It has also advised against imposing restrictions on travel or trade with affected countries.
Uganda said it would continue working with public-health authorities and release further information as investigations progressed.
For now, the patient’s earlier visit to Congo and her transit through Uganda are part of the investigation, but neither establishes where she contracted the disease.
