As fresh Ebola outbreaks spread across parts of Central and East Africa, Nigerian health authorities are intensifying surveillance and emergency preparedness measures to prevent the deadly virus from entering the country.
Although no confirmed case has been recorded in Nigeria, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) said the country is on high alert.
It added that vigilance, early detection and public cooperation remain critical to protecting the country from another outbreak.
The alert follows the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) declaration of the outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
The current outbreak, linked to the rare Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, has affected the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda, with WHO warning that the epidemic is spreading rapidly in conflict-prone and highly mobile communities.
Unlike the more common Zaire strain, there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment for the Bundibugyo variant.
As of May 21, the WHO reported 746 suspected cases and 176 suspected deaths in DR Congo, alongside confirmed infections in Uganda.
Against this backdrop, Nigerian authorities insist that vigilance remains critical.
The Director-General of NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, said the agency had activated heightened surveillance and readiness activities nationwide in response to the regional health emergency.
According to him, Nigeria’s dynamic risk assessment places the possibility of Ebola importation into the country at a high level because of international travel, cross-border movement and uncertainty surrounding the full scale of the outbreak.
Health experts also warned that early Ebola symptoms closely resemble those of malaria and Lassa fever, increasing the risk of delayed detection.
Consequently, high-risk states, border communities, major transport hubs and Points of Entry have been prioritised for intensified monitoring and intervention.
In addition, the National Emergency Operations Centre has been placed on alert mode, while the National Incident Management System has been activated to strengthen coordination, reporting and emergency response mechanisms.
It would be recalled that Nigeria recorded its first Ebola case on July 20, 2014, when a Liberian-American diplomat, Patrick Sawyer, arrived in Lagos from Liberia while infected with the virus.
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The disease eventually spread to Lagos and Port Harcourt, raising fears of a national health catastrophe in Africa’s most populous country.
However, through aggressive contact tracing, rapid isolation, public awareness campaigns and coordinated emergency response measures, Nigeria contained the outbreak within three months.
In total, the country recorded 20 confirmed cases and eight deaths before WHO officially declared Nigeria Ebola-free on October 20, 2014.
NCDC has dismissed rumours suggesting that Ebola is already spreading widely in Nigeria, stressing that no confirmed case has been identified in the country.
The agency also cautioned against false preventive claims circulating on social media.
According to the agency, substances such as salt water, bitter kola, herbs and seasoning cubes neither prevent nor cure Ebola.
To reduce risks, the NCDC advised Nigerians to wash their hands regularly with soap and water, avoid physical contact with persons showing symptoms such as fever, vomiting or unexplained bleeding, and refrain from consuming raw or undercooked bushmeat.
The agency also urged citizens to avoid contact with fruit bats, monkeys, and apes, which are known reservoirs of the Ebola virus.
Healthcare workers have also been advised to maintain a high index of suspicion and strictly observe infection prevention protocols.
Symptoms of Ebola include fever, weakness, headache, muscle pain, sore throat, vomiting, and diarrhoea, while severe cases may involve internal or external bleeding.
