The health condition of the Ebola patient currently under isolation in the Federal Capital Territory has critically deteriorated, plunging into multi-organ failure, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed on Wednesday.

Speaking at an emergency briefing in Abuja, Olajumoke Babatunde, the NCDC Director of Public Health Laboratory Service, revealed that the patient—a diplomat—is battling the rare Bundibugyo strain of the virus. This is the exact strain driving the current outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

According to the NCDC, the diagnosis was verified using three separate rounds of molecular testing. The World Health Organisation has also confirmed the strain, raising immediate concerns as there is currently no approved vaccine or specific therapeutic treatment available for the Bundibugyo variant.

"The patient’s condition has deteriorated," Babatunde stated. "We conducted three levels of molecular testing, all of which confirmed the Bundibugyo strain."

The patient, a female diplomat, arrived in Abuja from Uganda on October 3, 2026. She initially presented at a private FCT hospital on October 11 after developing symptoms on October 7, where she was initially treated for malaria-like symptoms before clinical suspicion shifted toward Ebola.

Dr. Odianosen Ehiakhamen, the Incident Manager of the National Ebola Response, disclosed that aggressive contact tracing has already identified 44 close contacts. This tracking list includes healthcare workers, fellow hospital patients, caregivers, and individuals from her travel itinerary, all of whom are now under strict surveillance.

The NCDC assured the public that the patient remains strictly isolated while receiving supportive medical care, adding that national health surveillance systems have been heavily reinforced to contain any potential spread.