The World Health Organization (WHO) has clarified that Nigeria has not been declared Ebola-free, stressing that the country currently has no confirmed cases following the medical evacuation of the index patient to Switzerland.

The WHO Regional Office for Africa said the absence of confirmed cases does not amount to an official declaration that the Ebola outbreak has ended, correcting reports that interpreted a statement by its Regional Director for Africa as such an announcement.

In a clarification, WHO said it had not declared Nigeria Ebola-free and called for the retraction and correction of headlines that inaccurately interpreted the Regional Director’s post on X.

Nigeria is monitoring 52 contacts who may have been exposed to the confirmed case, while the evacuated patient and her husband are being managed in Switzerland.

The clarification follows the confirmation of an imported case of Bundibugyo virus disease, a type of Ebola, in a 42-year-old woman who travelled from Uganda to Nigeria.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) confirmed the infection on 20 October after laboratory tests returned positive results. The patient was subsequently isolated and received medical care before being evacuated to Switzerland.

The WHO said that, under the International Health Regulations, an Ebola outbreak can be declared over only after the required 42-day period following the last confirmed case testing negative twice for the virus or, in the circumstances outlined, following the evacuation of the confirmed case.

The countdown is followed by a period of heightened surveillance to detect any potential resurgence of the disease.

Nigeria’s health authorities continue to monitor the 52 contacts remaining in the country as part of efforts to identify possible infections and prevent further transmission.

The NCDC has urged people identified as contacts to cooperate with public health officials and comply with monitoring requirements.