The Nigerian Society for Microbiology (NSM) has urged Nigerians to remain calm following the confirmation of a case of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, assuring that the infection can be contained through prompt medical intervention and effective contact tracing.
The society also called on healthcare facilities across the country to strengthen surveillance, maintain strict infection prevention measures and immediately report suspected cases to public health authorities.
The NSM President, Prof. S.A. Ado, stated this in a statement expressing concern over the confirmation announced by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.
According to the statement, the patient is a 42-year-old woman, identified as the wife of a Swiss diplomat, who returned to Abuja on October 3, 2026, after staying in Kampala, Uganda.
She reportedly developed symptoms three days after her return.
The society said laboratory tests conducted at three levels of molecular testing confirmed the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus.
It added that 44 close contacts had been identified and placed under active public health monitoring, while two domestic staff were also restricted, bringing the total number of people under a 21-day no-fly order to 46.
The patient, it said, was currently in isolation and receiving medical care.
Explaining the nature of the virus, the NSM said the Bundibugyo strain belonged to the Ebolavirus genus and was first identified during an outbreak in Uganda’s Bundibugyo District in 2007.
It noted that the strain was relatively rare and currently had no approved vaccine or specific therapeutic treatment, although clinical trials were ongoing.
However, the society said the absence of an approved vaccine did not mean the situation was beyond control.
It cited Nigeria’s public health infrastructure, laboratory capacity and experience in containing the 2014 Ebola outbreak as important advantages in managing the current case.
On transmission, the NSM explained that Ebola spreads through direct contact with the blood or bodily fluids of an infected person who has developed symptoms, or contaminated materials such as medical equipment.
It stressed that infected persons could not transmit the virus before symptoms appeared.
The society said the incubation period ranged from two to 21 days, with symptoms including fever, severe weakness, headache, muscle pain, sore throat, vomiting and diarrhoea.
It added that some patients could also experience internal and external bleeding.
The NSM further clarified that Ebola was not transmitted through the air during natural outbreaks, stressing that casual contact with an asymptomatic person did not constitute a transmission risk.
The society pledged its support for the NCDC, Federal Ministry of Health, FCT Health Services Secretariat and other frontline responders.
It said its members, including medical microbiologists, laboratory scientists and researchers, were prepared to provide technical support in laboratory diagnosis, biosafety and infection prevention and control.
“The NSM calls on all healthcare facilities, both public and private, to maintain a high index of suspicion and to immediately isolate and report any suspected case to public health authorities,” the statement said.
The society advised Nigerians to practise regular hand hygiene, avoid direct contact with the bodily fluids of suspected cases and promptly report possible exposure to public health teams.
It also urged people who might have been exposed to cooperate with contact tracers, even when they had not developed symptoms.
The NSM warned against spreading unverified information or stigmatising affected individuals, urging the public to rely on updates from the NCDC and the Federal Ministry of Health.
It expressed confidence that the case could be contained through early detection, prompt isolation, effective contact tracing and community cooperation.
” There is no justification for panic,” the society said, adding that it would continue to monitor developments and provide scientific guidance to the public and policymakers.
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