NCDC Issues Fresh Ebola Warning, Places 10 States Under Watch (Full List)

• The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has placed several states, including Lagos, the Federal Capital Territory, Kano and Rivers, on high Ebola preparedness alert following a growing outbreak in parts of Central Africa.

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 concerns over the possible importation of the deadly Bundibugyo Ebola Virus Disease into Nigeria.

In a public health advisory issued to Commissioners for Health across the 36 states and the FCT, the agency warned that Nigeria now faces a high risk of Ebola importation due to ongoing outbreaks in parts of Central Africa.

The NCDC said the warning followed a Dynamic Risk Assessment conducted with partners after the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).

Although no confirmed case has been reported in Nigeria, the agency stressed that increasing regional transmission, international travel, porous land borders, trade routes and population movements have significantly raised the country’s vulnerability.

According to the advisory, a total of 1,077 suspected cases and 247 deaths have already been recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, with a case fatality rate reaching 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 NCDC stated.

The agency directed all states and the FCT to strengthen surveillance systems, isolation facilities, infection prevention measures and healthcare worker protection mechanisms to ensure rapid detection and containment of any suspected case.

“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,” the agency said.

As part of its risk assessment, the NCDC classified Lagos, FCT, Rivers, Kano, Enugu, Borno, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Taraba and Adamawa as high-risk states due to their international airports, seaports, border crossings, trade corridors and high levels of population movement.

The agency noted that while all states must maintain preparedness, the identified high-risk states are expected to intensify surveillance, laboratory readiness and emergency response efforts.

The NCDC also warned that the Bundibugyo strain currently has no approved vaccine or specific treatment, making early detection and containment critical to preventing an outbreak.

According to the agency, existing Ebola vaccines and monoclonal antibody treatments were developed mainly for the Zaire strain and may not provide protection against the current outbreak.

Health workers were advised to remain vigilant, as early Ebola symptoms can easily be mistaken for 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 advisory warned.

The NCDC listed symptoms of the disease to include fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headache, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, rash, hiccups, unexplained bleeding and signs of shock.

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To strengthen preparedness, the agency confirmed that its National Emergency Operations Centre has been activated in alert mode to coordinate surveillance, infection prevention, case management, laboratory testing and public communication efforts nationwide.

The NCDC said it would continue working with state governments and development partners to prevent any potential importation or spread of the virus, while urging Nigerians to remain vigilant and report suspected cases promptly.

The agency added that sustained preparedness, public awareness and adequate funding would be critical in preventing an Ebola outbreak in the country.