LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria confirmed an Ebola case in its capital, Abuja, on Tuesday after a woman who arrived from Uganda tested positive for the virus, the Health Ministry said.
The woman began showing symptoms on Oct. 7 and was admitted to a private hospital in Abuja on Oct. 11, where she was later diagnosed with Ebola. It is unclear when she arrived in Nigeria.
Health Minister Muhammad Pate said authorities had begun tracing 44 people identified as contacts of the patient. “We are doing everything possible to contain this case by tracing all the contacts the individual may have had,” he said.
Uganda had previously reported Ebola cases, but it later declared itself free of the virus.
Uganda's Ministry of Health said the patient had only transited through Uganda and that she is a Nigerian woman who had been on a business trip to Congo's eastern region. The Nigerian authorities have not disclosed her nationality.
“Travel through Uganda does not establish that infection occurred here. The location of exposure remains under investigation,” the ministry said in a statement. The ministry insisted Uganda has “no confirmed active Ebola cases."
Nigeria is the latest country to report an Ebola case as the latest outbreak spreads across the region. Kenya confirmed its first case earlier this month and has since recorded nine infections.
Dr. Jean Kaseya, director general of the Africa Centers for Disease Control, said on X that “we are facing an extremely serious threat,” with a fatality rate of nearly 50% of cases.
“This Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak has already become the most geographically extensive in history, affecting several countries spread across three regions of Africa,” he said.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control said two weeks ago it was stepping up surveillance following the detection of Ebola in Kenya and strengthening the country’s preparedness for a potential outbreak.
“These efforts have focused on early detection, isolation and referral, laboratory diagnosis, infection prevention and control, contact tracing, risk communication and protection of health care workers,” the agency said.
Nigeria established an Ebola task force in June following the outbreak in Congo in mid-May.
“We do not want a repeat of what happened during the last outbreak when a carrier entered the country, and everyone was scrambling to respond," Femi Gbajabiamila, chief of staff to President Bola Tinubu, said when the task force was announced. “We have covered a lot of ground and established structures to address any potential threat.”
The spread of Ebola beyond Congo has heightened longstanding fears among health authorities about the rapid transmission of the rare Bundibugyo virus, which has infected more than 9,500 people and killed more than 4,600 people.
The latest outbreak is the fastest-spreading Ebola outbreak on record and is on track to exceed the deadliest on record, West Africa’s regional outbreak between 2014 and 2016, which killed 11,000 people, WHO has said. Nigeria was one of the countries affected, recording 20 cases before the outbreak was declared over in the country after three months.
AP’s Africa coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/africa
FILE - Cars drive past the National Assembly building in Abuja, Nigeria, on Nov. 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Chinedu Asadu, File)
A health care worker administers a dose of Ervebo vaccine against the Ebola virus in Beni, North Kivu province, eastern Congo, Friday, Oct. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Sebastien Kitsa Musayi)
NEW YORK (AP) — The first basket of LeBron James' career with the Philadelphia 76ers was a simple one. He took a feed from Joel Embiid in the paint and went up strong for an uncontested right-handed layup.
Just two points. Just one bucket of what the Sixers expect to be many, many more over the next two seasons as James opened his record 24th NBA season on a milestone night in New York.
Embiid appeared to wonder during the national anthem where the Knicks' championship banner was hanging in the rafters as James sat nearby on the bench with his head bowed and hands clasped.
The banner was indeed raised in a pregame ceremony at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night.
It's the same kind of celebration the 76ers expect James, Embiid and the rest of a stout starting lineup to deliver on opening night next season.
There was a plausible scenario under which James would open this season at the Garden — only in a Knicks uniform.
His agent, Rich Paul, said over the summer the Knicks would have been James' first choice in free agency had New York not won its first NBA championship since 1973 last season.
It's the thrill of the chase, to end a championship drought — much like he did in Cleveland — that in part drives James to keep playing after racking up a list of accomplishments unrivaled by his peers. That's one reason he opened the season wearing No. 23 for the Sixers.
Knicks fans didn’t seem to care James was playing for Philly. They erupted with chants of “We don’t want you!” when he went to the free-throw line in the second quarter.
While the spotlight was on the Knicks during the banner-raising, all eyes were on James once the ball tipped.
The 76ers got a first look at the potent lineup they put together this summer in hopes of winning their first title since 1983. James and a fellow All-Star in Jaylen Brown started alongside holdovers Embiid, Maxey and VJ Edgecombe.
There are some question about how that All-Star starting four plus Edgecombe will coexist when all have been the primary ballhandlers on their respective teams in the past. Who gets the ball in crunch time? Who has to sacrifice the most? Who has the most to gain?
Watching the answers unfold in real time will be fascinating for the Sixers and their fans.
“We're just getting together,” James said after the Sixers' preseason finale. “It's not going to be perfect. We've got some things to build on.”
The chemistry looked strong early. James hit Brown cutting to the basket to earn the assist on the former Celtics star's first points with the Sixers.
The offseason all the way through the countdown to the Sixers' home opener Thursday against Cleveland has been a swirl of excitement in Philadelphia. James jerseys are flying off the racks. Murals of him have popped up all over the city. He drew more than 10,000 fans to a public scrimmage and preseason games were sold out. There's a fascination with his helicopter rides from the Sixers' facility in New Jersey to New York.
Even his younger teammates admitted to being a bit awestruck when they first met James.
James is already the NBA’s career scoring leader. The leader in games, minutes, field goals and field goals attempted, too.
Sixers coach Nick Nurse said ahead of the game he reached out to some of James' former NBA coaches to get a feel for what to expect about coaching the four-time MVP.
“There wasn’t a whole lot of amazing laundry list of things that you're going to say,” Nurse said. “'You’re going to really like coaching him,' and that is the case.”
James stayed in the locker room with the Sixers while Jalen Brunson and the rest of the Knicks received their championship rings and watched the banner being raised to the rafters.
There's not much left for James to accomplish, except win that fifth ring.
Philadelphia is waiting.
See AP’s full NBA coverage here
Philadelphia 76ers forward LeBron James waits for a pass during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the New York Knicks Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Philadelphia 76ers forward LeBron James discusses a call with a referee during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the New York Knicks Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Philadelphia 76ers forward LeBron James speaks with head coach Nick Nurse during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the New York Knicks Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Philadelphia 76ers forward LeBron James looks on during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the New York Knicks Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Philadelphia 76ers forward LeBron James grabs a pass during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the New York Knicks Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Philadelphia 76ers' LeBron James goes up for a dunk during the first half of a preseason NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Philadelphia 76ers' LeBron James watches warm-ups before a preseason NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Philadelphia 76ers' LeBron James throws chalk in the air before a preseason NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Philadelphia 76ers' LeBron James stands before a preseason NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Philadelphia 76ers' LeBron James dribbles during the second half of a preseason NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
