The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has heightened surveillance and preparedness measures following the confirmation of an imported case of Ebola disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus in Kenya.
The agency said the development had increased the risk of international importation of the virus into Nigeria through travel and population movement, although there was no confirmed case of Ebola disease in the country as of Tuesday.
The NCDC Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, saying the agency was reviewing Nigeria’s existing preparedness measures in response to the evolving regional situation.
According to him, the Kenyan case involved a Kenyan citizen who had been living in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where an outbreak of Ebola caused by the Bundibugyo virus is ongoing.
He said the patient travelled by road from the DRC to Kampala, Uganda, before flying to Nairobi, where he was isolated and tested positive for the virus.
Idris said the patient subsequently died, while Kenyan health authorities had commenced contact tracing and other response measures.
He said the NCDC had been closely monitoring the Ebola outbreak in the DRC and assessing its potential implications for Nigeria in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Port Health Services, state governments and development partners.
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The Director-General said preparedness activities had focused on early detection, isolation and referral, laboratory diagnosis, infection prevention and control, contact tracing, risk communication and protection of healthcare workers.
He added that a National Ebola Preparedness Tabletop Simulation exercise had also been conducted to test Nigeria’s response arrangements and identify gaps requiring attention.
“Following this latest development, NCDC is reviewing the risk to Nigeria and existing preparedness measures to ensure that they remain appropriate to the evolving situation,” he said.
“These measures will be adapted and strengthened as necessary, working with relevant national and subnational authorities and partners.”
Idris urged Nigerians to remain calm but vigilant, advising the public to practise regular hand hygiene and avoid direct contact with the blood or body fluids of anyone who was ill, particularly people exhibiting symptoms suggestive of Ebola.
He also advised Nigerians to avoid contact with the bodies of people who died from unknown illnesses, as well as handling sick or dead wild animals and consuming raw or improperly prepared bushmeat.
The NCDC urged people who became ill, particularly following recent travel to an affected country or area or contact with a suspected or confirmed Ebola case, to seek prompt medical attention at a recognised health facility.
It also advised members of the public to provide healthcare workers with accurate information about recent travel and possible exposure and to rely on information from official public health authorities rather than unverified reports.
Healthcare workers were directed to maintain a high index of suspicion when assessing patients with compatible symptoms and a relevant travel or exposure history within the preceding 21 days.
The NCDC stressed that early symptoms of Ebola could resemble other common febrile illnesses and warned healthcare workers not to wait for bleeding before considering Ebola in patients with compatible symptoms and relevant epidemiological history.
It directed health workers who encounter suspected cases to immediately isolate patients, apply appropriate transmission-based precautions, use the required personal protective equipment and notify public health authorities through established surveillance channels.
Travellers to and from affected areas were also advised to remain vigilant and monitor their health for 21 days after leaving an affected area, particularly where there may have been exposure to a suspected or confirmed case.
The NCDC said it would continue to monitor developments in Kenya, the DRC and other affected countries while working with national, regional and international partners to assess the implications for Nigeria.
Idris said Nigeria’s previous experience with Ebola demonstrated the importance of early detection and rapid response in preventing onward transmission, urging state governments, healthcare workers and the public to support ongoing preparedness efforts.
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