The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has assured Nigerians that there is currently no confirmed case of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the country.
The agency, however, stated on Sunday that it is closely monitoring developments in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda following increased regional movement across African countries.
The NCDC advised Nigerians to remain calm and avoid spreading misinformation while maintaining preventive health measures.
The agency urged residents to practise regular hand hygiene, avoid contact with bodily fluids of sick persons, refrain from handling dead animals or bushmeat from unknown sources, promptly report unusual illnesses to the nearest health facility and rely only on updates from official public health authorities.
According to the NCDC, Ebola Virus Disease is a severe viral illness caused by the Ebola virus and transmitted through direct contact with the blood, bodily fluids, secretions or contaminated materials of an infected person or animal.
The agency explained that the incubation period ranges from two to 21 days.
Symptoms of the disease include fever, weakness, headache, muscle pain, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhoea and, in severe cases, unexplained bleeding.
The Director-General of the NCDC, Jide Idris, said the agency is working with relevant stakeholders, including the Port Health Services of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, to strengthen preparedness and vigilance within Nigeria’s public health system.
“We are aware of the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and recent reports of a confirmed imported case in Uganda linked to the outbreak in the DRC,” Idris stated.
“Response activities are ongoing in affected areas in the DRC and Uganda. Health authorities in the affected countries, with support from partners, have activated public health emergency measures, including enhanced surveillance, laboratory testing, infection prevention and control (IPC), case management, contact tracing and risk communication activities.”
The NCDC disclosed that it has intensified surveillance systems for Ebola and other epidemic-prone diseases across the country.
According to the agency, measures currently being implemented include intensified event-based surveillance and monitoring, sustained coordination with states and stakeholders, support for laboratory and diagnostic readiness, reinforcement of infection prevention and control awareness within healthcare facilities, strengthened community engagement activities and close monitoring of global and regional developments.
The agency also advised healthcare workers to maintain a high level of suspicion for Ebola in patients presenting compatible symptoms alongside relevant travel or exposure history.
“All healthcare workers should continue to adhere strictly to standard precautions and infection prevention and control measures, including early identification and isolation of suspected cases, appropriate use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), hand hygiene and prompt reporting of suspected cases through established channels,” the NCDC stated.
The World Health Organisation has already declared the Ebola outbreak a public health emergency following nearly 100 deaths recorded in affected communities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.
