•Ebola outbreak
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has placed Lagos, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Kano, Rivers and six additional states on high Ebola preparedness alert, after a new risk assessment classified Nigeria’s likelihood of importing the Bundibugyo Ebola Virus Disease as “high.”
In a national public health advisory issued to commissioners for health across the 36 states and the FCT, the agency warned that urgent strengthening of surveillance, isolation capacity, laboratory readiness and infection prevention systems are required as the outbreak intensifies in parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.
The alert comes after the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), a development the NCDC said underscores the need for immediate nationwide preparedness “before any suspected case is detected in Nigeria.”
According to the advisory, 1,077 suspected cases and 247 deaths have already been reported in affected countries, with a case fatality rate as high as 24.6 percent, reports Daily Independent.
“The overall risk of importation of the disease into Nigeria has been assessed as high due to increasing ongoing regional transmission, international travel, regional population movement, major airports, seaports, porous land borders, informal crossings and trade routes,” the NCDC stated.
The agency stated that all states and the FCT must immediately activate full preparedness systems capable of ensuring early detection, rapid containment and protection of healthcare workers.
“The immediate objective of our national preparedness and readiness efforts is to ensure that every state and the FCT can reasonably detect, contain and respond swiftly to any suspected case while protecting health workers and sustaining essential health services,” it said.
Central to the advisory is the NCDC’s risk stratification framework, which groups states into three preparedness tiers based on exposure routes and likelihood of importation.
At the highest level of risk, the agency listed Lagos, FCT, Rivers, Kano, Enugu, Borno, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Taraba and Adamawa as high-risk states, citing their international airports, seaports, major trade corridors, porous borders and high population mobility.
While all states are expected to maintain Ebola preparedness, the NCDC said high-risk states must intensify readiness measures faster, particularly in surveillance, laboratory systems and isolation capacity.
The agency warned that the Bundibugyo strain currently circulating has no approved vaccine or specific treatment, making rapid public health response the only effective line of defence.
It added that existing Ebola vaccines and monoclonal antibody therapies are designed primarily for the Zaire Ebola Virus and should not be relied upon for this outbreak.
The NCDC also stressed that Ebola is not airborne but spreads through direct contact with infected blood, body fluids, contaminated materials or infected animals.
It urged health workers nationwide to maintain a high index of suspicion, noting that early symptoms often mimic malaria, Lassa fever and other common febrile illnesses.
“Health workers must not wait for bleeding before suspecting Ebola in any patient with compatible symptoms and relevant travel or exposure history,” the advisory warned.
Symptoms highlighted include fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headache, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, rash, hiccups, unexplained bleeding, bruising and signs of shock.
The agency affirmed that its National Emergency Operations Centre has been activated in alert mode to coordinate preparedness across federal and state levels, focusing on surveillance, infection prevention and control, case management, safe sample handling and risk communication.
State governments were directed to ensure immediate operational readiness across both public and private health facilities, including contact tracing systems, isolation centres and healthcare worker protection mechanisms.
According to the advisory, preparedness efforts must prioritise early detection, immediate isolation, optimised supportive care, strict infection prevention and control, safe sample handling, contact tracing readiness and effective public communication.
The NCDC restated that it is working closely with state authorities and development partners to prevent any potential importation or community transmission of the virus.
While the classification of high-risk states is a key early warning tool, sustained vigilance, coordination and funding will determine Nigeria’s ability to contain any potential outbreak, the agency warned.
