By George Omagbemi
Uganda’s Ministry of Health has clarified that the Nigerian woman who tested positive for Ebola after travelling through Uganda only transited through the East African country, stressing that her travel history does not establish where she contracted the virus.
The clarification followed Nigeria’s confirmation on Tuesday, October 20, of an imported case of Bundibugyo Ebola virus disease in a woman receiving treatment in Abuja.
In a statement, Uganda’s health authorities said preliminary information indicated that the woman had travelled to eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) for business before passing through Uganda in early October.
According to the ministry, she showed no symptoms while in Uganda but developed symptoms after arriving in Nigeria.
“Travel through Uganda does not establish that infection occurred here. The location of exposure remains under investigation,” the ministry said.
Uganda reports no active Ebola cases
The Ugandan government said it had no confirmed active Ebola cases at the time of its statement. The World Health Organisation declared Uganda Ebola-free on July 28, 2026, after the country completed its response to an earlier outbreak.
Uganda also said it was awaiting detailed information from Nigerian authorities concerning the patient’s travel itinerary and clinical history to support further investigations and any necessary contact tracing.
Nigeria begins contact tracing
Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare confirmed that laboratory testing identified the Bundibugyo strain in the patient on October 20. She had reportedly developed symptoms on October 7 and sought treatment at a private health facility in Abuja on October 11.
The patient is in isolation and receiving medical care. Nigerian authorities have identified 44 contacts for monitoring as investigations continue to establish the likely source of infection and determine whether additional people may have been exposed.
The case is linked to the wider Ebola outbreak that began in DR Congo in May 2026 and has spread to other countries in the region. The Bundibugyo strain is a form of Ebola virus disease that requires urgent public health attention.
The clarification from Uganda underscores an important distinction: travelling through a country does not, by itself, prove that a person contracted an infection there. Health authorities are still investigating the woman’s movements and possible exposure.
Both countries face the task of sharing accurate travel and clinical information, monitoring contacts and strengthening public health measures to limit any further transmission.
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