Health · 2026-10-22 · Afternoon briefing

Ebola spreads to Nigeria as Kenya hunts for missing contact

Kenyan authorities are searching for a Ugandan national who was in contact with Nairobi's first Ebola patient, as the city's confirmed case cluster rises to nine. Officials believe the man crossed the border via an unofficial route to avoid health checks and have been unable to locate him despite possessing his passport and phone numbers.

The search comes as the regional outbreak widens. On Tuesday, Nigeria confirmed its first case in a woman who arrived in Abuja from Uganda two weeks ago; authorities there are now tracing 44 contacts. The outbreak was first declared in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in mid-May and has since killed at least 4,600 of the 9,500 people affected in the country. France recorded a case in June, the only one outside Africa so far.

The head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has warned of an "extremely serious threat," calling for international mobilisation. The United States has advised its citizens to reconsider travel to Kenya. Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation expects the first clinical trial for a potential vaccine to begin by the end of October.

Summary written by Cup of News with AI from the sources below. Check the originals for the full story.

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• Ebola has spread from Congo to 4 other countries. A look at where things stand
• Nigeria confirms its 1st Ebola case as Kenya reports 9th infection: Health officials
• Nigeria confirms an Ebola case in Abuja as a woman arriving from Uganda tests positive
• Ebola update: Nigeria confirms virus case as Kenya reports ninth infection
• Ebola spreads to Nigeria and Kenya as epidemic expands beyond Congo (DRC)

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