Nigeria’s Ebola index patient has recovered and has been discharged from a hospital in Switzerland after testing negative for the virus, Jide Idris, Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), has said.
Idris disclosed this at a press briefing on Friday while providing an update on the patient who was medically evacuated to Switzerland on October 26, 2026, after receiving initial clinical care in Nigeria.
He said laboratory tests conducted upon the patient’s arrival in Switzerland showed that she was still positive for the virus. However, following further treatment and care, the patient recovered, subsequently tested negative for Ebola and was successfully discharged from the hospital.
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“The patient received clinical care in Nigeria before being medically evacuated to Switzerland for further management on the 26th of October. Laboratory tests were conducted upon arrival in Switzerland and found that she was still positive for the virus. Following further treatment and care, we are pleased to report that the patient has recovered, subsequently tested negative for the virus, and has been successfully discharged from the hospital in Switzerland”, Idris said.
Nigeria confirmed the case on October 20, 2026, after a female Ugandan-born wife of a Swiss diplomat tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain of the virus in Abuja.
The patient had travelled to Uganda before returning to Nigeria, where she developed symptoms and sought medical attention at a private health facility.
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Her diagnosis prompted an emergency public health response, including contact tracing, surveillance and monitoring of people who may have been exposed to the virus.
The patient was later evacuated to Switzerland alongside her husband, who was identified as a close contact, for further medical management.
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