The Federal Government has intensified preparations to contain the Ebola outbreak in Nigeria, identifying 53 people who had contact with the confirmed patient and planning to strengthen treatment and isolation facilities in states with designated ports of entry.
The measures are aimed at preventing further transmission of the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, following confirmation of an imported case in the Federal Capital Territory on October 20.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention disclosed the latest contact figure in its Ebola disease situation report dated October 24, while outlining plans to expand isolation capacity, strengthen surveillance at international entry points and improve the readiness of healthcare facilities across the country.
According to the report, the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital has undergone a needs assessment and optimisation exercise for isolation and treatment, while authorities plan to assess the capacity of Karu General Hospital to accommodate additional patients if the need arises.
The government is also working to identify and equip treatment centres in states with designated ports of entry and establish referral arrangements for suspected cases.
The measures are intended to ensure that suspected infections detected outside Abuja can be promptly isolated and transferred to appropriate treatment facilities.
The development comes as the NCDC announced an emergency weekly payment of N100,000 for people placed in quarantine following possible exposure to the virus.
The agency’s Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, said the financial support followed complaints from contacts about the difficulty of meeting their personal and family obligations while complying with public health monitoring arrangements.
“We are providing N100,000 per person per week just to maintain their comfort and feeding, because they were complaining,” Idris said during a briefing in Abuja.
He explained that some of the affected individuals had expressed concerns about feeding, accommodation and their inability to attend to their businesses and families while in quarantine.
“This was not planned for, but it is an emergency. We will continue to review it as we go along,” the NCDC chief added.
The agency also urged state governments to prepare the financial and logistical resources required to manage suspected cases, conduct contact tracing and support people placed under monitoring.
Idris stressed that the responsibility for managing public health emergencies should not rest solely on the Federal Government or the FCT administration, noting that similar arrangements would be required in other states if cases were detected there.
53 CONTACTS UNDER SURVEILLANCE
The 53 contacts represent an increase from the initial 44 identified after Nigeria confirmed the imported Ebola case.
The NCDC said the contacts had been identified, categorised and followed up, with surveillance teams continuing investigations to establish whether other people might have been exposed.
According to reports by Premium Times and Channels Television, the contacts include healthcare workers, the patient’s spouse, domestic staff and other individuals linked to the facilities where she received medical attention.
The NCDC said investigators were also working to identify secondary contacts who might have interacted with the people already under surveillance.
Idris explained that contact tracing involved establishing the movements and interactions of each identified person to determine whether further monitoring was necessary.
“If you are contacted by a public health official, please cooperate fully. Provide accurate information about your movements, contacts, and any symptoms you may have experienced,” he urged Nigerians.
He emphasised that being identified as a contact did not mean that an individual had contracted Ebola, but that monitoring was necessary to detect possible infections early.
The agency said contacts would be monitored daily, with anyone who developed symptoms assessed promptly.
In its October 24 situation report, the NCDC recorded no positive cases among the identified contacts and no deaths associated with the confirmed Nigerian case at the time of reporting.
The agency also reported that a suspected Ebola case detected in Rivers State on October 23 had tested negative following laboratory investigations.
GENOMIC SEQUENCING COMPLETED
The NCDC has completed genomic sequencing of the confirmed case in collaboration with the National Reference Laboratory and the African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases.
The findings are expected to support investigations into the virus and assist health authorities in understanding the infection.
The agency said further work would include sharing the sequencing report, continuing diagnostic testing and positioning additional laboratory reagents and supplies across the national laboratory network.
Laboratory readiness remains a critical part of the response, as suspected cases must be investigated promptly to guide isolation, treatment and other public health decisions.
The NCDC is also strengthening infection prevention and control measures in healthcare facilities to reduce the risk of transmission among patients, medical personnel and other people who may come into contact with suspected cases.
The plans include additional assessments of healthcare facilities, training for medical personnel and improved availability of protective equipment.
The agency said it would also implement an infection prevention and control strategy across designated areas to strengthen screening and isolation arrangements.
SURVEILLANCE AT PORTS OF ENTRY
The Federal Government is also strengthening surveillance at airports and other designated ports of entry as part of efforts to detect suspected infections early.
According to the situation report, Port Health Services has conducted investigations with aviation stakeholders, while enhanced surveillance is expected to continue at international entry points.
Additional preparations include positioning personal protective equipment and other essential supplies in high-risk states and improving the arrangements for referring suspected cases to designated treatment centres.
The NCDC is also sustaining public awareness campaigns and monitoring discussions about the outbreak to identify and address misinformation.
The agency urged Nigerians to rely on verified information, cooperate with contact-tracing teams and avoid stigmatising people placed under monitoring.
It advised the public to maintain good hand hygiene and avoid direct contact with the blood, body fluids or tissues of people suspected or confirmed to have Ebola.
HOW THE CASE WAS DETECTED
The confirmed case involves a 42-year-old woman who returned to Nigeria from Uganda through Addis Ababa on October 3, according to the NCDC’s situation report.
The agency said she developed symptoms on October 7 and sought medical attention at private health facilities in Abuja on October 10 and 11.
The NCDC was notified on October 19, and laboratory testing confirmed the Bundibugyo virus infection on October 20.
The World Health Organisation confirmed Nigeria’s imported case in a statement published on October 20, noting that investigations were continuing to establish the likely source of infection and reconstruct the patient’s travel and exposure history.
In its October 23 update, the WHO said the case was in isolation and receiving medical care, while national authorities and response partners intensified contact tracing, case investigation and infection prevention measures.
The WHO also emphasised the importance of cross-border surveillance, monitoring at points of entry, timely case detection and coordinated preparedness among countries responding to the outbreak.
The Bundibugyo virus is a species of Ebola virus that has caused outbreaks in parts of Africa.
Nigeria’s response draws on the country’s experience during the 2014 Ebola outbreak, when rapid case identification, isolation, contact tracing and coordinated public health interventions helped contain transmission.
Health authorities are now seeking to strengthen those measures by improving treatment readiness, expanding laboratory capacity and ensuring that states have the facilities and resources required to respond if additional cases are identified.
The NCDC urged Nigerians to remain calm, follow official health advisories and cooperate with public health officials as investigations and surveillance continue.
