Africa’s most populous nation, Nigeria on Tuesday confirmed a case of Bundibugyo Ebola virus.
The health minister, Muhammad Pate, said the patient, a woman who recently arrived in Nigeria on an international flight from Uganda, was currently in isolation and receiving medical care at a private hospital in Abuja.
The minister noted that 44 contacts had been traced to the carrier as the authorities swung into a rapid response and prevent an outbreak.
Prior to the confirmation of new case in the country, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO), identified 10 African nations, including Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, the Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Zambia, at risk of the Bundibugyo Ebola virus outbreak.
The Peoples Gazette presents a timeline of three other African countries affected by the deadly virus so far, highlighting when it started, efforts taken to tackle it and the current situation.
DR Congo
The current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is the country’s 17th outbreak, which was officially declared on May 15, 2026. It stated in Ituri Province in northeastern part of the country DRC and rapidly expanded across multiple provinces, including Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uélé, Tshopo, Bas-Uélé, and Sud Ubangi.
Reports identified a local nurse who died in Bunia, Ituri’s capital city, and buried in Mongbwalu as the presumed “patient zero,” tied to clusters in the Mongbwalu and Rwampara health zones. So far, authorities have reported over 9,500 confirmed cases and more than 4,600 deaths across eight provinces in the country.
As there is no approved commercial vaccine or antiviral therapy for the new virus yet, DR Congo has continued to rely on multilayered strategies, including medical hubs and screenings, clinical trials and cross-border among others, to slow down spread.
Kenya
Kenya’s first case was traced to its citizen who contracted the virus in the DR Congo before travelling to Nairobi in early October 2026. The victim sought medical care at a Nairobi Hospital, where he tested positive for the virus before he passed away in isolation on October 5.
As of now, there are nine cases in the country with one death. The cases include family members and healthcare workers (such as hospital attendants and nurses) who were in direct contact with the index patient. All confirmed cases have been linked to known chains of transmission though.
The Kenyan authorities have continued to deepen efforts, including contact tracing, border and airport surveillance and clinical preparedness, to contain the spread.
Uganda
Uganda also declared Ebola outbreak in May when two victims were imported from infected individuals crossing the border from the DRC’s hard-hit Ituri Province.
Days later, the country shut its border with DRC for four weeks and ordered a 21-day quarantine for arrivals to curb the influx of new infections
Twenty cases were recorded with two deaths in the country. However, the country was declared Ebola-free in August after completing the World Health Organisation’s required 42-day period without a new case.
Despite the declaration, Uganda has continued to deepen efforts to prevent another outbreak, including improving surveillance and screening, cross-border collaboration among others.
