…as FG moves to contain infection, check further spread
Federal Government has confirmed a case of Ebola disease in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and began contact tracing, with 44 close contacts identified as part of efforts to prevent further transmission.
FG has also activated public health response measures to prevent further spread of the deadly disease.
Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, following laboratory confirmation of the case.
“A woman who recently arrived in Nigeria on an international flight from Uganda, was admitted to a private hospital in the FCT, where she received treatment for several days before the diagnosis was confirmed,” the statement disclosed.
The woman is currently in isolation and receiving medical care.
Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, and the FCT Health Services Secretariat are working with other relevant authorities to contain the infection and prevent further spread.
The Minister said public health teams had started tracing the 44 identified contacts and were working to identify and monitor others who might have been exposed, including healthcare workers, patients, caregivers and travel contacts.
Surveillance has also been intensified, while the hospital where the patient was treated is receiving immediate support to strengthen infection prevention and control measures.
The government has urged public and private healthcare facilities across the country to remain on high alert, directing healthcare workers to maintain a high index of suspicion, promptly identify and isolate suspected cases, observe strict infection prevention and control protocols, and immediately report suspected infections to public health authorities.
He advised Nigerians to remain calm while observing preventive measures, including regular handwashing and avoiding contact with the blood or other body fluids of anyone suspected of having Ebola.
He said symptoms to watch for include fever, severe weakness, headache, vomiting and diarrhoea, particularly among people who may have been exposed to the infection.
“Anyone who develops symptoms should avoid close contact with others and call public health authorities for guidance before visiting a healthcare facility,” the statement advised.
The government also urged people contacted by public health teams during the tracing exercise, including potentially exposed airline passengers, to provide the required information and comply with official guidance.
The confirmation comes amid an evolving regional Ebola outbreak. NCDC had, in an October 6 advisory, raised concerns about the risk of importing the infection following a confirmed case in Kenya linked to an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
World Health Organisation says Ebola spreads through direct contact with the blood or other body fluids of infected people, or contaminated objects and surfaces. People infected with the virus do not transmit it before symptoms develop, while the incubation period ranges from two to 21 days.
Nigeria previously contained an Ebola outbreak in 2014 after the disease was introduced by an infected traveller. The response involved rapid case identification, isolation, contact tracing and coordinated public health interventions.
Pate, who reassured Nigerians, said the country had the experience and public health systems required to respond to the current case, but stressed that preventing further transmission would require public cooperation.
The Federal Government said investigations were ongoing and that the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease, alongside the NCDC, would continue to provide updates.
Members of the public can contact the NCDC’s toll-free call centre on 6232, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to obtain information or report a suspected case.
