Health Minister Muhammad Ali Pate announced the case on Tuesday, October 20, saying laboratory tests had confirmed the infection and that the patient was receiving medical care in isolation.

Authorities have identified 44 people who may have come into contact with the woman and begun tracing them to prevent further transmission.

“We are doing everything possible to contain this case by tracing all the contacts the individual may have had,” Pate said.

The patient reportedly began showing symptoms on October 7 and was admitted to a private hospital in Abuja four days later. Authorities have not disclosed when she arrived in Nigeria.

Nigeria is the first West African country to report a case linked to the current outbreak, which has spread from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to other countries in the region.

Uganda’s Ministry of Health said the woman had travelled to eastern DRC on a business trip and passed through Uganda on her journey to Nigeria.

“Travel through Uganda does not establish that infection occurred here. The location of exposure remains under investigation,” the ministry said in a statement.

Uganda had previously reported cases of Ebola but declared itself free of the disease after the last patient was discharged.

The latest case comes as health authorities across Africa intensify surveillance and contact-tracing efforts following infections reported in Kenya and Uganda.

Kenya has confirmed nine cases, including its first patient, who died after travelling from the DRC. Kenyan authorities say the infections remain linked to a single cluster, with most identified contacts under quarantine.

The outbreak in the DRC, which began in May, has recorded more than 9,500 cases and 4,600 deaths, according to recent figures from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has warned that the outbreak presents a serious regional health threat as infections emerge in countries connected through travel and trade.

Nigeria, which experienced an Ebola outbreak in 2014, has strengthened its preparedness measures. During that outbreak, the country successfully contained the virus after recording 20 cases.