“We Still Have Only One Confirmed Case, The Contacts Have Been Traced And Quarantined–Pate

According to a report by Punch, on Friday, October 23, 2026, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Pate, has said genomic analysis of Nigeria’s confirmed Ebola case shows that the virus is closely related to the one identified in Kenya.

Pate disclosed this on Friday night while providing an update on the country’s response to the outbreak alongside the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), Dr Jide Idris.

He explained that although the analysis had established a close relationship between the viruses, further investigations were necessary to understand how the infection reached Nigeria.

Pate, however, cautioned that the genomic findings had not established a direct epidemiological link between Nigeria’s confirmed case and Kenya’s index case.

He said the similarity identified through the analysis was not enough to determine the precise route of transmission or establish how the virus entered the country.

The minister stressed that additional investigations were required to clarify the circumstances surrounding the case and determine whether there was a connection between the two countries’ infections.

The minister said the Federal Government was continuing its public health response to prevent further transmission of the virus.

According to him, the response included contact tracing, testing and other interventions aimed at identifying people who might have been exposed and determining whether additional infections had occurred.

The authorities were also working to monitor individuals identified during contact tracing and ensure that appropriate public health measures were maintained as investigations continued.

During the briefing, Pate provided an update on the number of confirmed cases and the status of investigations involving people who had been identified as contacts.

He said Nigeria still had only one confirmed case, while additional tests were being conducted to establish whether there had been further transmission.

The minister explained that some test results had returned negative, while others were still pending.

The update indicated that health officials were continuing to assess available evidence as part of the effort to understand the extent of the outbreak.

The involvement of the NCDC in the briefing highlighted the role of public health authorities in coordinating the country’s response.

Pate and Idris provided information on the ongoing investigations and measures being implemented to limit the spread of the virus.

Contact tracing remained an important part of the response, as officials worked to identify individuals who might have come into contact with the confirmed case.

Testing was also continuing to establish the infection status of those being assessed and guide further public health action.

Pate reiterated that the number of confirmed Ebola cases in Nigeria remained at one, while authorities continued monitoring contacts and conducting additional tests.

He said the findings from the genomic analysis had not yet established a direct epidemiological connection with Kenya’s index case, making further investigations necessary to determine the possible route of transmission.

He said, “We still have only one confirmed case. The contacts have been traced and quarantined, and we are conducting additional tests. Some of the results are negative, while others are pending.”

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