The Ebola outbreak that began earlier this year in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has expanded its reach to a third region in Africa, marking the widest spread of the virus to date. Health officials this week confirmed a new Ebola case in Abuja, Nigeria, located more than 2,000 miles west of the outbreak’s epicenter. The development coincided with reports of a ninth Ebola case in Kenya.

Since May, the DRC has reported over 9,700 confirmed Ebola infections and more than 4,600 deaths, making it the fastest-growing outbreak of the disease in history. The virus has spread across eight provinces within the country, with approximately 70 percent of new cases identified in the community, indicating extensive undetected transmission. Clinical trials for vaccines targeting the Bundibugyo Ebola strain involved in this outbreak are ongoing, but widespread availability is not expected for several months. Furthermore, these vaccines have not yet been approved for children under five, a vulnerable group accounting for nearly 25 percent of cases and one-third of deaths.

Nigeria’s case has raised concerns due to the country’s status as Africa’s most populous nation and Abuja’s role as a major hub for international travel. The patient is a Ugandan national residing in Abuja with her husband, a Swiss diplomat. She reportedly returned from a trip involving travel through Uganda. The Ugandan Ministry of Health stated that the patient had transited Uganda on her way back to Nigeria, denying that the infection was acquired there, noting that Uganda declared its Ebola outbreak over in August after confirming 20 cases and two deaths earlier this year.

However, officials from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) highlighted inconsistencies in her travel history. Dr. Jean Kaseya, director general of Africa CDC, indicated that the woman told health authorities she did not visit the DRC but had been on vacation in Kampala, Uganda. He emphasized that investigations are ongoing to determine the precise location where she contracted the virus. The patient began showing symptoms on October 7, four days after arriving in Abuja, although Nigerian officials report her arrival on October 5, two days before symptom onset.

Following initial visits to healthcare facilities with malaria-like symptoms on October 11, Ebola was not suspected until nearly ten days later, with diagnosis confirmed on October 20. During this period, she reportedly came into close contact with at least 44 people, including numerous healthcare workers. Nigerian authorities have begun monitoring these contacts, but experts suggest the number may increase pending further investigation.

In Kenya, eight recent cases have been linked to a single imported patient from Congo who traveled through Uganda before arriving in Nairobi. This patient was diagnosed with Ebola on October 5 and died the same night. World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stressed that while individual imported cases can be contained through rapid contact tracing, the primary threat remains sustained community transmission.

Dr. Nahid Bhadelia, director of Boston University’s Center on Emerging Infectious Diseases, described the Nigerian case as indicative of the epidemic’s uncontrolled growth. She expressed particular concern about potential undetected transmission along borders with affected countries, citing South Sudan as a high-risk area.

In response to these developments, Dr. Kaseya announced plans to convene a meeting of African health ministers to discuss coordinated efforts to contain the outbreak, warning that failure to do so could place the entire continent at risk.