The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has placed Lagos, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Kano, Rivers and several other states on high Ebola preparedness alert following rising concerns over the possible importation of the deadly Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) into Nigeria.
In a public health advisory issued on Thursday to Commissioners for Health across the 36 states and the FCT, the NCDC warned that Nigeria now faces a “high risk” of importing the virus due to ongoing outbreaks in parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.
The agency disclosed that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has already classified the outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), prompting urgent calls for nationwide preparedness and rapid response measures.
Although no confirmed Ebola case has been recorded in Nigeria, the NCDC said its latest Dynamic Risk Assessment, conducted in collaboration with international health partners, showed that the country remains vulnerable because of regional population movement, international travel, porous land borders, informal crossings, trade routes and major transportation hubs.
According to the agency, at least 1,077 suspected Ebola cases and 247 deaths have already been reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, representing a case fatality rate of about 24.6 percent.
“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 advisory stated.
The NCDC explained that all states and the FCT are expected to activate emergency preparedness systems immediately to ensure early detection, swift containment and adequate protection for healthcare workers.
It added that the immediate objective of the national preparedness strategy is to strengthen the country’s ability to rapidly detect, isolate and respond to any suspected Ebola case while maintaining essential health services.
As part of its risk stratification framework, the agency categorised Lagos, FCT, Rivers, Kano, Enugu, Borno, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Taraba and Adamawa as high-risk states due to their international airports, seaports, major trade corridors, porous borders and heavy population movement.
The NCDC stressed that while all states must remain vigilant, high-risk states are expected to intensify surveillance, laboratory readiness, isolation capacity and infection prevention measures more aggressively.
The agency further warned that the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola currently has no approved vaccine or specific treatment, noting that existing Ebola vaccines and monoclonal antibody therapies are primarily designed for the Zaire strain and may not offer reliable protection against the current outbreak.
It clarified that Ebola is not airborne but spreads through direct contact with infected blood, body fluids, contaminated materials or infected animals.
The NCDC also urged health workers across the country to maintain a high level of suspicion, especially because early symptoms often resemble malaria, Lassa fever and other common illnesses.
“Health workers must not wait for bleeding before suspecting Ebola in any patient with compatible symptoms and relevant travel or exposure history,” the agency warned.
Symptoms of the disease include fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headache, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, rash, hiccups, unexplained bleeding and signs of shock.
Meanwhile, the NCDC confirmed that its National Emergency Operations Centre has already been activated in alert mode to coordinate preparedness efforts nationwide, with focus on surveillance, infection prevention and control, case management, safe sample handling and public risk communication.
The agency directed state governments to ensure immediate operational readiness in both public and private health facilities, including the activation of contact tracing systems, isolation centres and healthcare worker protection protocols.
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