The Federal Government has announced that the Ebola patient receiving treatment in Nigeria is showing signs of recovery, offering a positive update days after health authorities reported that she had developed multiple organ failure.
In a statement shared on its official X account on Friday, the Federal Ministry of Health said there was currently no evidence of community transmission of the virus.
“The Federal Government has provided an update on the confirmed Ebola case in Nigeria, reporting that the patient is showing signs of recovery. There is currently no evidence of community spread,” the ministry stated.
It added that contact tracing, quarantine and monitoring were continuing, alongside stronger coordination among health authorities, improved preparedness at health facilities and other public health measures.
The ministry also urged Nigerians to follow recommended precautions, rely on information from recognised health authorities and avoid circulating unverified reports.
The update comes days after the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) disclosed that the patient, a Ugandan-born woman, had developed multi-organ failure after contracting Ebola.
Health authorities have identified 44 contacts linked to the confirmed case as efforts continue to prevent further transmission.
The patient was diagnosed with the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which is associated with an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The strain currently has no specific approved vaccine or treatment.
Switzerland’s foreign ministry provided further details about the patient on Friday, identifying her as the wife of a Swiss embassy staff member based in Abuja.
“The Swiss woman, who is symptomatic, has been hospitalised for about a week at a private clinic in Abuja,” the ministry said in a statement.
Swiss authorities said the woman may have contracted the virus during a trip to Uganda approximately two weeks earlier.
Her husband, who accompanied her on the trip, has been placed in isolation but has not developed symptoms, according to the statement. Neither of them travelled to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The Swiss foreign ministry also confirmed that the remaining 25 embassy staff members, comprising eight Swiss nationals and 17 local employees, were doing well.
Following consultations with Nigeria’s health ministry and the World Health Organization (WHO), the other embassy staff members were not required to enter isolation.
Switzerland is also considering the possible repatriation of the patient to the country for further care.
Despite the encouraging update on the patient’s condition, Nigerian health authorities continue to monitor identified contacts and strengthen preventive measures to limit the risk of further infections.
