A new suspected Ebola case in Rivers State has been confirmed to have tested negative.
True Confidence: high
Checked on 26 October 2026 · News Intelligence. Checked by two independent AI checks, editor review pending.
The claim
A new suspected Ebola case in Rivers State has been confirmed to have tested negative.
What we found
According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), a newly suspected Ebola case reported by Rivers State on 23 October 2026 has tested negative. Multiple Nigerian outlets, including The Guardian, Premium Times and the International Centre for Investigative Reporting, reported the same negative laboratory result on 25 October 2026. The latest information we found was published on 25 October 2026. Nigeria's only confirmed Ebola case remains in the Federal Capital Territory, not in Rivers State.
The reasoning
According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), a newly suspected Ebola case reported by Rivers State on 23 October 2026 has tested negative. Multiple Nigerian outlets, including The Guardian, Premium Times and the International Centre for Investigative Reporting, reported the same negative laboratory result on 25 October 2026. The latest information we found was published on 25 October 2026. Nigeria's only confirmed Ebola case remains in the Federal Capital Territory, not in Rivers State.
Context: Nigeria has prior experience with Ebola: a 2014 outbreak was contained after 19 confirmed cases and the WHO declared the country Ebola-free in October 2014. The current alert began when the NCDC confirmed a case of Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease in the Federal Capital Territory on 20 October 2026, involving a 42-year-old woman who had travelled from Uganda. Rivers State, where the new suspected case was reported, also had cases during the 2014 outbreak. The NCDC is the authoritative source for disease outbreak claims in Nigeria, and it has activated a national response. The suspected Rivers case was negative, so there is no confirmed Ebola case in Rivers State at this time.
Correction: The suspected Ebola case in Rivers State tested negative, according to the NCDC and multiple reports dated 25 October 2026. It is correct to say the Rivers case was negative, not confirmed Ebola.
Sources
Official NCDC situation report dated 24 October 2026 states the Rivers suspected case tested negative.
The Guardian reports on 25 October 2026 that the NCDC identified one new suspected case in Rivers State which tested negative.
TheCable's earlier same-day report said the Rivers case was yet to be confirmed, reflecting an earlier point before the negative result was widely communicated.
TVC News reports the Rivers suspected case tested negative.
AFP via Modern Ghana reports the test on the Rivers suspected case came back negative.
Premium Times reports the NCDC investigated two cases, including a suspected Rivers case that tested negative.
ICIR reports the suspected case reported by Rivers State on 23 October tested negative.
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