Fresh details have emerged about the travel history of Nigeria’s confirmed Ebola patient, with an aviation source revealing that the woman arrived in Abuja on 3 October 2026 aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Uganda.
The woman reportedly landed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on flight ET333, according to an aviation official familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The revelation comes as Nigerian health authorities intensify efforts to trace the patient’s movements and identify anyone who may have been exposed to the virus before her diagnosis was confirmed.
Nigeria announced its first Ebola case in the Federal Capital Territory on 20 October, following laboratory tests that confirmed the infection in a woman who had recently returned from abroad.
Uganda Disputes Where the Infection May Have Occurred
The patient’s travel history has prompted differing accounts from Nigerian and Ugandan authorities, with Uganda insisting that the infection has not been traced to its territory.
Uganda’s Ministry of Health previously stated that the woman was a Nigerian national who had travelled to eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo for business and passed through Uganda on her return journey.
The Ugandan government maintained that it had no confirmed active Ebola cases and argued that travelling through the country did not establish that the patient contracted the virus there.
Meanwhile, Nigerian authorities have been urged to provide detailed travel and clinical records to support investigations into the possible source of the infection.
Patient Developed Symptoms Days After Arrival
Information provided by Nigerian health officials and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that the woman developed symptoms several days after returning to Abuja.
She reportedly first sought medical attention at a private hospital, believing she had malaria, before being admitted to another facility on 11 October when her condition failed to improve.
Her Ebola diagnosis was confirmed on 20 October, after which she was transferred to an isolation facility for treatment.
Health authorities have identified 44 people who may have come into contact with her and are monitoring them as part of efforts to prevent further transmission.
Authorities Intensify Contact Tracing
The Federal Government, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and international health partners are working to establish the patient’s movements and determine where she may have contracted the virus.
The investigation is particularly important because Ebola can spread through direct contact with the blood and other bodily fluids of an infected person who is showing symptoms, as well as through contaminated materials.
Officials are also working with relevant authorities in Uganda and Ethiopia to clarify the patient’s travel history.
The latest information highlights the importance of international cooperation in tracing possible exposure and containing the outbreak.
As investigations continue, health authorities have urged Nigerians to remain calm, follow verified public health guidance and report suspected cases promptly.
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