Ebola: NCDCP places Lagos, Rivers, FCT, Kano, Enugu, Borno, A/ Ibom, C/ River, Taraba, Adamawa on high alert – THIS UPDATE

By Victor Osula, Abuja

The Nigerian Center for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDCP) has placed Lagos, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Rivers, Kano and several other states on high Ebola preparedness alert following fears that the deadly Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus disease (EVD) could spread to Nigeria amid escalating outbreaks in East and Central Africa.

In a nationwide public health alert issued to health commissioners of the 36 states and the FCT on Thursday, the NCDCP warned that Nigeria now faces a “HIGH” risk of importing the virus due to regional transmission, international travel, porous borders and expanding trade routes across Africa.

The alert follows the World Health Organization (WHO) declaration of the outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), signaling heightened global concern and an urgent need for countries to strengthen emergency preparedness systems.

While no confirmed cases of Ebola have been detected in Nigeria, the NCDCP said its dynamic risk assessment conducted with development partners following the WHO statement showed that the country remains vulnerable due to heavy cross-border movements, international air travel and weak border surveillance along informal entry points.

According to the advisory, 1,077 suspected cases of Ebola and 247 deaths have already been reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, with the epidemic currently recording a mortality rate of around 24.6%.

“The overall risk of importation of the disease into Nigeria has been assessed as HIGH due to ongoing increasing regional transmission, international travel, regional population movements, major airports, seaports, porous land borders, informal crossings and trade routes,” the NCDC said.

The agency directed all states and the FCT to immediately activate comprehensive preparedness measures to ensure rapid detection, rapid isolation and effective containment of any suspected Ebola cases before community transmission occurs.

“The immediate goal of our nationwide preparedness and readiness efforts is to ensure that each State and the FCT can reasonably detect, contain and respond rapidly to any suspected cases, while protecting health workers and supporting essential health services,” the advisory adds.

As part of its preparedness framework, the NCDC has classified Lagos, FCT, Rivers, Kano, Enugu, Borno, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Taraba and Adamawa as high-risk states due to their international airports, seaports, trade corridors, porous borders and intense population movements.

The agency warned that states in the highest risk category must aggressively increase surveillance, laboratory availability, infection prevention systems and isolation capacity in public and private health facilities.

The advisory also warns that the Bundibugyo Ebola strain currently widespread in the region has no approved vaccine or specific treatment, making timely public health intervention and rigorous infection prevention measures the country’s strongest line of defense.

The NCDCP also warned that currently available Ebola vaccines and monoclonal antibody therapies were largely developed for the Zaire strain of Ebola and may not provide reliable protection against the Bundibugyo variant.

While stressing that Ebola is not transmitted through the air, the agency explained that transmission occurs through direct contact with infected blood, body fluids, contaminated surfaces or infected animals.

Health workers across the country have been advised to maintain a high level of suspicion, particularly when treating patients presenting with fever and related symptoms that could easily be mistaken for malaria, Lassa fever or other common febrile illnesses.

“Healthcare providers should not wait for bleeding before suspecting Ebola in any patient with compatible symptoms and relevant travel or exposure history,” the advisory warns.

Symptoms listed by the NCDC include fever, fatigue, severe headache, muscle aches, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, rash, hiccups, unexplained bleeding and signs of shock.

The agency revealed that its National Emergency Operations Center has already been activated in alert mode to coordinate nationwide preparedness efforts, with a focus on surveillance, case management, infection prevention and control, safe specimen handling, risk communication and emergency response coordination.

State governments have also been asked to immediately ensure operational readiness of all health facilities, including functional contact tracing systems, designated isolation centers and adequate protection for frontline medical personnel.

According to the NCDCP, preparedness efforts must prioritize early detection, immediate isolation, optimized supportive care, rigorous infection prevention and control, safe specimen handling, contact tracing preparedness, and sustained public awareness campaigns.

The agency assured Nigerians that it is working closely with state governments and development partners to strengthen the country’s emergency preparedness architecture and prevent any possible importation or spread of the disease.

However, he warned that sustained vigilance, rapid funding and strict adherence to public health measures will determine how effectively Nigeria can contain any potential outbreak if the virus eventually enters the country.

Public health observers point out that Nigeria’s successful containment of the 2014 Ebola outbreak in Lagos remains one of the country’s greatest advantages, but they warn that the scale of regional movements and weak border controls now pose new challenges to national preparedness efforts.