WHO confirms Bundibugyo strain in Nigeria’s first Ebola case

Nigeria has confirmed that its first Ebola case in 2026 involves the Bundibugyo strain, with the infected patient reportedly suffering multiple organ failure.

According to Vanguard, officials disclosed this during an emergency meeting on Wednesday, October 21.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) said the patient, identified as a diplomat, arrived in Abuja from Uganda on October 3.

“We did three levels of tests, but all molecular. The strain was Bundibugyo,” NCDC laboratory director Olajumoke Babatunde confirmed.

Another official disclosed that the patient had deteriorated into “multi-organ failure”.

The World Health Organisation confirmed the strain, noting that no approved vaccine or specific treatment currently exists.

Meanwhile, Nigerian authorities have identified 44 contacts and intensified surveillance to prevent further transmission.

Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya described the continental outbreak as “an extremely serious threat”.

The outbreak has reportedly killed 4,381 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with infections spreading across several African countries.