RismadarVoice Reporters
October 23, 2026
Switzerland has confirmed that the woman diagnosed with Ebola in Abuja is a Swiss national married to an employee of its embassy in Nigeria, dismissing reports that the couple recently travelled to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo).
The Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs disclosed on Friday that the woman and her husband had visited Uganda but had not travelled to DR Congo, where the ongoing Ebola outbreak originated.
The clarification contradicts earlier claims by Ugandan authorities suggesting that the patient had visited eastern Congo before returning to Nigeria.
According to Switzerland’s Foreign Ministry, the woman may have contracted the virus during her visit to Uganda, although health authorities have not established the exact source of infection.
The patient, who was born in Uganda, has been receiving medical attention at a private health facility in Abuja.
Her husband, who accompanied her on the trip, has been placed in isolation as a precautionary measure but has reportedly shown no symptoms.
The ministry also disclosed that other employees of the Swiss embassy in Abuja were doing well and had not been required to isolate following consultations with Nigerian health authorities and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Switzerland is reportedly considering arrangements to repatriate the patient for further medical treatment.
Nigeria confirmed the Ebola infection on October 20, marking the country’s first recorded case in more than a decade.
According to WHO, the patient developed symptoms on October 7, sought medical attention on October 11 and received laboratory confirmation on October 20.
Laboratory investigations identified the infection as Bundibugyo virus disease, a form of Ebola for which no licensed vaccine or approved specific treatment is currently available.
Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare subsequently activated emergency response measures, including contact tracing, enhanced disease surveillance and infection prevention procedures.
At least 44 people identified as contacts of the patient are being monitored for possible exposure.
Meanwhile, health authorities are investigating whether the Nigerian patient and an Ebola patient in Kenya could have crossed paths at Uganda’s Entebbe International Airport.
The wider outbreak, which began in DR Congo in May, has affected several African countries and caused thousands of deaths.
Health authorities continue to investigate the patient’s travel history and possible exposure while working to prevent further transmission in Nigeria.
