By Tobias Lengnan Dapam
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and the Mandate Secretary for Health and Environment, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Dr. Dr. Adedolapo Fasawe, confirmed that there is no case of Ebola virus in FCT.
While the NCDC made this known in its advisory on Friday, the Mandate Secretary told journalists in Abuja, that there is no recorded case of Ebola in the FCT.
They urged citizens to be vigilant and cautious.
They confirmed that there were two recent suspected cases of viral haemorrhagic fever in Abuja, but both tested negative for Ebola and Marburg viruses.
Specifically, the NCDC said, “We are currently testing samples for other viral haemorrhagic fevers like Lassa Fever and Dengue fever. The most recent case involved a traveller who, after returning to Nigeria from Kigali, responsibly presented himself immediately to a hospital in Abuja when he felt unwell.
“His decision to report early, combined with the vigilance of the attending clinician and hospital team, ensured that our public health system was promptly activated and that the risk to the public was minimized”, the centre stated.
Ebola virus disease (EVD), formerly known as Ebola Haemorrhagic Fever, is a severe, often deadly disease caused by the Ebola virus, with a fatality rate of 25-90%. There are 5 distinct species of this Virus: Bundibugyo, Reston, Tai Forest, Sudan, and the Zaire (the one responsible for the current case in the DRC).
The NCDC commended the action of the travellers and urged all Nigerians to emulate the same. “When you feel unwell, especially after travel, seek care early. Doing so protects you, your family, and your community”, it urged.
Meanwhile, the NCDC said it has activated multidisciplinary collaboration with federal and state health authorities, strengthening surveillance at points of entry, placing isolation/treatment facilities on alert, and prepositioning critical infection-prevention and related case management supplies.
The centre further said that it is currently collating and analysing all the relevant data and information to improve response, adding that its national reference laboratories remain on standby to provide rapid testing, and public-health teams are ready to conduct contact tracing if needed.
“Beyond these immediate steps, NCDC is also working with states and partners to strengthen readiness across all 36 states and the FCT. This includes upgrading isolation facilities, reinforcing IPC training for healthcare workers, conducting simulation exercises, and ensuring a clear pathway for access to medical countermeasures such as vaccines and therapeutics if ever required”, the statement further read.
