Lagos airport steps up Ebola checks as patient stays stable
Arriving passengers face temperature screening; 44 contacts of Nigeria's first case have been traced so far.
Lagos — Nigeria has tightened health screening for international arrivals after confirming its first case of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola this week, Africanews reports. Passengers arriving at Lagos airport are queuing for temperature checks.
The case
The patient, a woman returning from Uganda via Addis Ababa, is in isolation in the Federal Capital Territory and in stable condition, health authorities say. 44 contacts have been identified so far, and the search for others continues. One concern raised: she was not tested until 13 days after her symptoms began.
Why experts are hopeful
Nigeria contained Ebola in 2014 after a traveller brought it to Lagos, and health minister Muhammad Ali Pate has said months of preparation since May allowed this case to be confirmed within 24 hours. The World Health Organization says Africa now faces a complex outbreak, with DR Congo fighting its largest ever since May and cases confirmed in Kenya and Nigeria. Uganda was declared Ebola-free in August.
In Liberia, the national public health institute says it is monitoring the regional situation closely and has urged vigilance.
Sources: Africanews, 23 October 2026; AllAfrica, 23 October 2026.
