Nigeria's Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has ruled out Ebola in two suspected cases identified in Yola, Adamawa State, after two rounds of laboratory testing returned negative results. The agency said the individuals were reported in the early hours of 30 October after presenting with symptoms suggestive of Ebola, and were isolated while samples were collected and contact identification began.

NCDC Director-General Jide Idris said in a statement on 31 October that there was currently no laboratory-confirmed Ebola case in Adamawa State. He clarified that the previously confirmed case in the Federal Capital Territory remained Nigeria's only confirmed infection. That case, confirmed on 20 October, involved a woman who had travelled from Uganda.

Why the negative result still matters

A suspected case is not a confirmed case, and the NCDC stressed that only laboratory testing can establish infection. The rapid isolation, testing and public update show the surveillance system working as intended: a worrying report was investigated, contacts were listed, and the result was published rather than left to rumour. Health authorities continue to work with the Adamawa State Government on public health measures, and residents are urged to remain alert and report symptoms early rather than assume the all-clear means the risk has gone.