Nigeria has returned to zero active Ebola cases following the successful medical evacuation of its index patient and her asymptomatic husband to Switzerland via air ambulance on Monday morning.
Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, confirmed the cross-border evacuation in a post on X, stating the patient’s clinical markers and laboratory metrics had stabilized back toward baseline levels under local care.
The World Health Organization confirmed the departure leaves Nigeria with no active virus cases. However, health authorities emphasized that strict isolation protocols remained active during transit because the patient retained viral infectivity.
The patient, a 42-year-old Swiss national, tested positive for the rare Bundibugyo Ebola strain in Abuja on October 20. She had arrived in Nigeria on October 3 after traveling from Uganda.
Epidemiological tracing data shows public health teams identified 53 total contacts linked to the index case. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) actively monitors 52 local contacts, while Swiss authorities assume surveillance of the 53rd.
