The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has intensified surveillance and preparedness measures across the country following the ongoing Ebola Virus Disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and a recently confirmed imported case in Uganda linked to the outbreak.
The Director-General of the NCDC, Jide Idris, on Sunday assured Nigerians that there is currently no confirmed case of Ebola Virus Disease in the country.
“Nigeria currently has no confirmed case of Ebola Virus Disease,” Idris said in a public health advisory issued on Sunday.
He explained that response activities were ongoing in the affected countries, where health authorities, supported by international partners, had activated emergency public health measures to contain the spread of the disease.
Idris said the NCDC was closely monitoring developments due to increasing regional movement across African countries and was working with relevant stakeholders, including the Port Health Services under the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, to strengthen preparedness within Nigeria’s public health system.
The NCDC boss described Ebola Virus Disease as a severe viral illness transmitted through direct contact with the blood, bodily fluids, secretions, or contaminated materials of infected persons or animals. The disease has an incubation period ranging from two to 21 days, with symptoms including fever, weakness, headache, muscle pain, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhoea, and in severe cases, unexplained bleeding.
Idris urged Nigerians to remain calm and avoid circulating misinformation about the disease, and advised citizens to practice regular hand hygiene, avoid contact with bodily fluids of sick persons, refrain from handling dead animals or bushmeat from unknown sources, and promptly report unusual illnesses to the nearest health facility.
Healthcare workers were advised to maintain a high index of suspicion for Ebola, especially in patients presenting symptoms compatible with the disease alongside relevant travel or exposure history, and to adhere strictly to infection prevention and control measures.
Nigeria gained international recognition for successfully containing an Ebola outbreak in 2014 after an infected traveller arrived in Lagos from Liberia, prompting significant investments in disease surveillance, emergency preparedness, and laboratory capacity.
