By Rosemary Caleb
The Federal Government has said it has heightened surveillance especially at the points of entry following the outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Uganda.
The Nigeria Centre of Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) on Sunday in a public advisory confirmed that there is currently no case of the virus , but warned that the country is at moderate risk.
This means that without mitigation, Ebola is likely to occur in Nigeria, with
potential for significant public health consequences, hence the need to take the necessary precautions, the Centre explained.
Ebola virus disease, formerly known as Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever, is a severe, often deadly disease caused by the Ebola virus, with a fatality rate of 25-90%. On 30th January 2025, the Ministry of Health in Uganda confirmed an outbreak of Ebola caused by the Sudan specie, in Wakiso, Mukono and Mbale city in Mbale district.
Only one case has so far been reported, and one death (confirmed by post-mortem). Forty-four
(44) contacts are being followed up.
The Centre says it will continue to monitor the regional and global
situations, but also urged Nigerians to avoid all but essential countries with confirmed cases of Ebola.
The NCDC directed persons already in Nigeria but with recent travel history to or transit through countries with Ebola cases in the last 21 days who experience symptoms such as fever, muscle pain, sore throat, diarrhoea, weakness, vomiting, stomach pain,
or unexplained bleeding or bruising should promptly call 6232 or State Ministry of Health hotlines, shelter-in-place to avoid further spread, and await dedicated responders.
“On our part, we will continue to strengthen surveillance across the country, including our borders and airports especially for travelers from affected areas; alerting our health workers to heighten
their level of suspicion for suspected cases; enhancing our laboratory capacities for quick testing of suspected cases; as well coordination with the WHO and the African Regional Health Authorities to monitor developments and share critical information”, the centre said.
“These include the update of our EVD emergency contingency plan, heightened surveillance especially at the points of entry, and optimizing diagnostic capacity for EVD testing in designated laboratories in cities with international airports
of entry and the National Reference Laboratory. In addition, all Lassa Fever testing laboratories can be activated to scale up testing if the need arises”, it added.
The NCDC while urging Nigerians to take preventive measures, noted that the approved vaccine for the Zaire species is not currently available in the country but can be obtained from the WHO Afro and does not protect against the Sudan virus, which is responsible for the outbreak in Uganda.
