Uganda imposes 21-day Ebola quarantine, continues investigation into Nigeria’s case

Uganda has imposed a mandatory 21-day quarantine on citizens returning from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), as authorities continue investigating a confirmed Ebola case in Nigeria involving a woman who recently travelled through the East African country.

Uganda’s Health Minister, Chris Baryomunsi, announced the measure on Sunday, October 25, 2026, during a press briefing in Kampala, as the government intensified border surveillance and preventive measures against the spread of Ebola.

The precaution comes days after Nigeria confirmed its first imported case of Ebola virus disease in Abuja, involving a woman with a recent travel history to Uganda, although the source of her infection remains under investigation.

Uganda orders 21-Day Ebola quarantine

Ugandan health authorities are working with their Nigerian counterparts and international partners to establish the patient’s possible source of infection by reviewing genomic sequencing results, travel records and interactions during her movements across affected countries.

• Meanwhile, Baryomunsi disclosed that all 60 people identified as contacts of a Kenyan Ebola patient had completed their 21-day monitoring period without developing symptoms and had been discharged.

The contacts were traced through border crossings, hotels and transport operators associated with the infected traveller’s movements through Uganda.

Beyond the mandatory quarantine for citizens returning from the DRC, the government has strengthened surveillance at major entry points to prevent further transmission.

• “The ministry has intensified traveller screening at Entebbe International Airport and all land border crossings. All travellers intending to enter Uganda by air, land or water must complete the passenger locator form,” Baryomunsi said.

The measures come as Uganda continues investigating the travel history of the woman who tested positive for Ebola in Nigeria, while maintaining that her movements through the country do not establish where she contracted the infection.

Nigeria’s Ebola case triggers investigation

Nigeria confirmed its first imported case of Ebola virus disease on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, after laboratory tests identified the Bundibugyo strain in a woman who recently arrived from Uganda.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, disclosed the development in Abuja, confirming that the patient was receiving treatment in isolation while health authorities traced individuals potentially exposed to the virus.

• Uganda’s Ministry of Health subsequently maintained that the woman’s travel history did not establish that she contracted Ebola within its territory, noting that she had also travelled to the DRC.
• Further investigations established a possible genetic connection between the Nigerian infection and Kenya’s initial case, with genomic analysis showing that the virus detected in Nigeria was closely related to the strain identified in Kenya’s index case.

However, the Federal Government said no direct epidemiological link between the two patients had been established, leaving the source of the Nigerian patient’s infection under investigation.

Africa CDC seeks Ebola response support

Amid the regional spread, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has called for urgent international assistance for Nigeria, including funding, medical equipment, diagnostic tools and strengthened surveillance to prevent further transmission.

• Earlier on October 16, 2026, Nairametrics reported that Africa CDC raised concerns over more than $700 million in Ebola response funds that remained unaccounted for in the DRC.
• According to the agency, international donors disbursed approximately $962 million to organisations implementing Ebola response programmes, but only about 30% of the organisations provided financial information during a verification exercise.
• Africa CDC attributed the discrepancy to inadequate financial reporting, stressing that it was too early to conclude that the funds had been misappropriated.

The concerns over funding accountability have emerged alongside efforts to strengthen the Ebola response across affected countries, including Nigeria, where health authorities are still investigating the confirmed imported infection.

The confirmation of Nigeria’s first Ebola case has prompted additional preventive measures, with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) strengthening disease surveillance and passenger screening at airports across the country to minimise the risk of further infections.

• Meanwhile, questions have emerged over the infected woman’s travel history after Swiss authorities disputed Uganda’s earlier account that she had visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) before developing symptoms.
• The conflicting accounts have added uncertainty to investigations into where the patient contracted the virus, as health authorities continue efforts to establish the source of the infection.

Amid these developments, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has appealed for immediate international assistance to strengthen Nigeria’s response to the Bundibugyo Ebola infection and prevent further transmission.