The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has placed Lagos, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Rivers, Kano and several other states on high Ebola alert following the outbreak of the deadly Bundibugyo strain of Ebola Virus Disease in East and Central Africa.
The agency warned that Nigeria faces a high risk of importing the virus due to increased international travel, porous borders and heavy population movement across the region.
Other states listed as high-risk include Enugu, Borno, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Taraba and Adamawa because of their international airports, seaports and border routes.
In a public health advisory issued to commissioners for health nationwide, the NCDC disclosed that although no confirmed Ebola case has been recorded in Nigeria, the danger level remains high.
“The immediate objective of our preparedness efforts is to ensure that every state and the FCT can detect, contain and respond swiftly to any suspected case,” the agency stated.
The NCDC revealed that 1,077 suspected cases and 247 deaths have already been reported in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, with a fatality rate of 24.6 per cent.
The agency explained that the current outbreak involves the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there is presently no approved vaccine or specific treatment.
Health officials also warned that Ebola symptoms may initially resemble malaria, Lassa fever and other common illnesses, making early detection difficult.
“Health workers must not wait for bleeding before suspecting Ebola in patients with compatible symptoms and relevant travel history,” the NCDC cautioned.
The agency stressed that Ebola is not airborne but spreads through direct contact with infected blood, body fluids, contaminated materials or infected animals.
As part of emergency measures, the NCDC said its National Emergency Operations Centre has already been activated in alert mode to coordinate response efforts across the country.
State governments have been directed to immediately activate Ebola preparedness structures, identify isolation centres, strengthen surveillance at entry points and equip frontline health workers with protective equipment.
The alert has revived memories of Nigeria’s successful containment of Ebola during the 2014 outbreak after an infected Liberian-American traveller, Patrick Sawyer, arrived in Lagos and exposed several persons before health authorities swiftly contained the spread.
The World Health Organisation had praised Nigeria’s response at the time as one of Africa’s most effective Ebola containment efforts.
The latest warning comes as Nigeria battles other infectious disease outbreaks, including Lassa fever, cholera and meningitis in different parts of the country.
The NCDC urged Nigerians to remain calm, avoid fake cures and report suspected symptoms early as surveillance intensifies nationwide.
