The Director of Public Health Laboratory Service at the NCDC, Olajumoke Babatunde, disclosed this during an emergency meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, confirming that laboratory tests identified the virus as the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola.
Babatunde said three levels of molecular testing were conducted to establish the strain responsible for the infection.
“The patient’s condition has deteriorated. We did three levels of tests, but all were molecular. The strain was Bundibugyo,” she said.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) also confirmed the strain, which currently has no approved vaccine or specific treatment, according to the report.
The patient, identified as a female diplomat, reportedly travelled from Uganda to Abuja on 3 October 2026. She was subsequently admitted to a private hospital in the FCT after initially presenting with symptoms resembling malaria, before Ebola was suspected.
The Incident Manager of the National Ebola Response, Dr Odianosen Ehiakhamen, said the patient developed symptoms on 7 October and presented at the hospital on 11 October 2026.
Meanwhile, the NCDC said 44 close contacts linked to the confirmed case had been identified and were under monitoring as part of efforts to contain the potential spread of the virus.
Those being monitored include healthcare workers, other patients, caregivers and people who had contact with the patient during travel.
The identification and monitoring of contacts form part of the public health response aimed at detecting possible secondary infections and limiting further transmission.
