Nigeria and Kenya confirm new Ebola cases as regional outbreak spreads

Nigeria and Kenya have confirmed new cases of Ebola, according to reports from UPI, Sky News, France 24, Al Jazeera, the BBC, and The Guardian. Nigeria confirmed its first case during the current outbreak, while Kenya confirmed its ninth case. UPI reported that the multi-country outbreak has sickened nearly 10,000 people across five countries in less than six months. [1][2][3][4][5][8][9]

The Nigerian Ministry of Health and Social Welfare stated that its first patient is a woman who arrived on an international flight from Uganda, UPI and Al Jazeera reported. Health and Social Welfare Minister Muhammad Ali Pate said the woman developed symptoms on Oct. 7 and was admitted to a private hospital in the capital city of Abuja on Oct. 11, according to UPI. [1][5]

The outbreak began on May 14, 2026, in the Ituri Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, France 24 and Wikipedia reported. It is the 17th Ebola outbreak in the country. Before the current regional spread, Kenya had never recorded cases of Ebola, as FTMQ News reported earlier. [3][11][14]

Following the rising case numbers in East Africa, the United States raised its travel warning level for Kenya, Africanews and The Telegraph reported. The United States government advised travelers to reconsider trips to the country due to health and security risks. [6][7]