Nigeria records no new Ebola case 21 days after imported infection — NCDC

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, NCDC, says Nigeria has recorded no additional Ebola case, 21 days after confirming an imported infection of the Bundibugyo virus from Uganda.

The Director-General of the NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, disclosed this in a national health security update issued on Tuesday.

Idris said the agency had identified 62 contacts, with 34 completing their individual 21-day monitoring period, while 28 remained under surveillance.

He explained that being identified as a contact did not mean an individual had Ebola, stressing that monitoring enabled early detection and prompt response to symptoms.

“NCDC is sustaining contact tracing, laboratory testing, surveillance, infection prevention and investigation of reported alerts in collaboration with relevant federal and state authorities,” Idris said.

He urged healthcare workers in public and private facilities to remain vigilant, establish patients’ travel and exposure histories, and immediately report suspected Ebola cases to public health authorities.

Idris advised anyone developing symptoms after possible exposure to avoid contact with others and call the NCDC toll-free line, 6232, for guidance before visiting a health facility.

He said dengue fever had been confirmed in Sokoto and Zamfara States, while Chikungunya was confirmed in Sokoto, prompting intensified surveillance and response activities.

The NCDC boss said National Rapid Response Teams, including entomologists from the National Arbovirus Research Centre, Enugu, had been deployed to support affected states.

He said the teams were assisting with case identification, laboratory investigations, clinical readiness, community engagement and mosquito control to contain the infections.

Idris warned Nigerians against assuming that every fever was malaria, noting that dengue and Chikungunya could cause fever, headaches, body pains and joint pains.

He urged people experiencing persistent fever, rash, vomiting or severe joint pains to seek medical assessment, warning that dengue could become life-threatening when warning signs were ignored.

He advised households to eliminate stagnant water, cover water containers, clear discarded tyres and protect themselves against mosquito bites, noting that disease-carrying mosquitoes often bite during the daytime.

On cerebrospinal meningitis, Idris said the agency was strengthening preparedness as the dry season advanced, with increased risks in parts of the meningitis belt.

He urged states to improve disease surveillance, diagnostic services, clinical readiness and vaccination responses, where indicated, to prevent avoidable deaths.

He urged Nigerians experiencing sudden fever, severe headache, neck stiffness or confusion to seek urgent medical attention, while advising health facilities to promptly identify and refer suspected cases.

The NCDC director-general said diphtheria remained a concern, particularly among children who had missed routine immunisation, adding that the agency was supporting surveillance, laboratory diagnosis and outbreak response.

He urged parents and caregivers to check their children’s vaccination status and seek guidance on missed doses, stressing that vaccination and early treatment were essential.

Idris said fever accompanied by sore throat, neck swelling, difficulty swallowing or breathing required prompt medical assessment to prevent complications from diphtheria.

On Lassa fever, he said Nigeria was approaching the period when cases historically increased, urging states to strengthen surveillance, testing, treatment readiness and infection prevention before the seasonal peak.