WHO Advises Against Travel Bans Amid Nigeria's Ebola Case

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has advised against imposing travel or trade restrictions on countries affected by the Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak. This warning comes as Nigeria confirmed an imported case in Abuja, making it the fifth country to detect the virus since the outbreak was declared in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on May 15, 2026.

The confirmed patient is a woman with a recent travel history to Uganda, who developed symptoms on October 7 and sought medical attention on October 11. Laboratory testing confirmed the Bundibugyo virus disease on October 20.

The patient is currently in isolation and receiving medical care. Nigerian health authorities have identified 44 contacts who are being monitored, while efforts are ongoing to locate additional contacts.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has activated its incident management system to coordinate the response, focusing on case detection, contact tracing, and infection prevention. WHO is collaborating with Nigerian health authorities to strengthen case investigation and provide essential supplies.