The World Health Organisation (WHO) clarified that Nigeria has not been declared Ebola-free saying it is still monitoring 52 contacts linked to the country’s confirmed case of Bundibugyo virus disease.
WHO Nigeria issued the clarification after reports suggested the country was free of the disease following the evacuation of the index patient to Switzerland.
The organisation said Nigeria currently had no confirmed case following the patient’s medical evacuation but stressed that this did not mean the outbreak had officially ended.
‘WHO has not declared Nigeria Ebola-free. Nigeria currently has no confirmed case of Ebola following the medical evacuation of the index patient to Switzerland. Health officials are closely monitoring 52 contacts who may have been exposed’ it said.
The organisation explained that it could declare an outbreak over only after the required monitoring period under international health regulations had ended.
It said a 42-day countdown would begin after the last confirmed case tested negative twice for the virus or in the current situation after the confirmed case was evacuated.
The period would be followed by heightened surveillance to detect any possible resurgence of the disease.
WHO urged media organisations to correct reports claiming Nigeria had been declared Ebola-free calling them an inaccurate interpretation of a post by its Regional Director for Africa.
The clarification follows Nigeria’s confirmation of an imported case of Bundibugyo virus disease a type of Ebola in a 42-year-old woman who travelled from Uganda to Nigeria.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) confirmed the infection on October 20 2026 after laboratory tests returned positive results.
The patient was isolated and treated by Nigerian health workers before being medically evacuated to Switzerland alongside her husband who is also a Swiss citizen.
Following the evacuation health authorities have continued monitoring 52 contacts who may have been exposed to the patient.
Authorities are monitoring the contacts to identify possible infections and prevent further transmission.
WHO stressed that continued surveillance and compliance with public health monitoring requirements remained essential until conditions for officially declaring the outbreak over were met.