Nigeria Has Not Been Declared Ebola-Free – WHO
The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a clarification stating that Nigeria has not been declared free of Ebola. The organization cautioned that the absence of confirmed cases following the evacuation of the country’s index patient to Switzerland does not indicate that the outbreak has concluded. WHO Nigeria released this statement after a report misinterpreted comments made by the regional director as confirmation of the country’s status regarding the disease.
According to WHO, health authorities are currently monitoring 52 individuals who may have been exposed to the confirmed case of Ebola. The organization emphasized the importance of accurate reporting, urging media outlets to revise headlines that suggest Nigeria is Ebola-free.
In a statement, WHO noted that specific criteria must be met before declaring an outbreak over, in accordance with the International Health Regulations. “Under these regulations, a country is only declared Ebola-free after a 42-day observation period following the last confirmed case, which must test negative for the virus twice,” the statement explained. This protocol applies even in this situation, following the evacuation of the confirmed case.
The WHO also requested corrections to reports that misrepresented its earlier communications. “We ask that these headlines be retracted and amended,” the organization stated, referring to the misinterpretation of the regional director’s comments.
The clarification follows Nigeria’s detection of an imported case of the Bundibugyo virus disease, a strain of Ebola, in a 42-year-old woman who had traveled from Uganda. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) confirmed the case on October 20, 2026, after laboratory tests yielded positive results.
The patient was isolated and treated by Nigerian health officials before being medically evacuated to Switzerland with her husband, a Swiss citizen. In the wake of the evacuation, Nigeria has continued to monitor the 52 contacts associated with the case to detect any further infections and prevent the spread of the virus.
Health authorities are urging those identified as contacts to cooperate with public health officials and adhere to monitoring protocols. The WHO indicated that rigorous surveillance will remain crucial during this monitoring period to identify any potential resurgence of the disease.
