ABUJA, Nigeria — Nigeria’s confirmed Ebola patient has been medically evacuated to Switzerland alongside her husband, as health authorities continue investigating how she contracted the Bundibugyo strain of the virus.

Health Minister Muhammad Ali Pate confirmed on Monday, October 26, that the Ugandan-born woman departed Abuja on a medical evacuation flight with the minister’s approval. She is the wife of a Swiss diplomat based in Nigeria and represents the country’s first confirmed Ebola case in more than a decade.

Pate said the patient’s condition had improved significantly before the transfer. She was stable, conscious and communicating, while her laboratory test results were approaching baseline levels. Her husband, who accompanied her, has remained asymptomatic.

However, the minister cautioned that clinical improvement does not necessarily mean the patient is no longer infectious. Strict public health protocols were therefore maintained during the evacuation.

Contact Tracing Continues in Nigeria

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) is continuing surveillance and contact tracing to limit the risk of further transmission.

According to the agency’s latest update on Sunday, 53 contacts linked to the confirmed case had been identified and were being monitored. They include healthcare workers, domestic staff and the patient’s spouse.

The patient, a 42-year-old woman, returned to Nigeria from Uganda on October 3. She developed symptoms four days later and sought medical attention in Abuja before testing positive for the Bundibugyo virus on October 20.

Nigerian authorities have urged the public to cooperate with health officials conducting contact tracing and to rely on information from credible sources. Healthcare facilities have also been advised to strengthen infection prevention measures and promptly report suspected cases.

Scientists Investigate Possible Link to Kenya Case

Investigators are working to establish how the woman contracted the virus, amid conflicting accounts about whether she had travelled to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where the current outbreak was first reported.

Swiss authorities have said she did not visit the DRC. Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention Director-General Jean Kaseya also told Reuters that her travel documents did not indicate a visit to the country.

One line of investigation concerns a possible connection with Kenya’s first confirmed case. The man involved had travelled from the DRC through Uganda, and both patients reportedly passed through Entebbe International Airport on October 3.

However, investigators have not established whether the two patients had direct contact or how any possible transmission might have occurred.

The World Health Organization has called for continued regional surveillance, cross-border cooperation and rapid identification of suspected cases as the outbreak investigation continues.

Nigerian health authorities say containment measures remain in place despite the patient’s evacuation.

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