The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has urged Nigerians to maintain heightened vigilance against Ebola, warning that the country cannot be declared free of the disease until all identified contacts have completed monitoring and the World Health Organisation (WHO) grants the clearance.
The Director-General of the NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, gave the warning on Tuesday while providing an update on the country's response to the imported case of Bundibugyo Virus Disease involving a traveller from Uganda.
Idris disclosed that although no new infections had been recorded, 28 people linked to the confirmed case were still being monitored, while 34 others had completed their mandatory 21-day follow-up as of November 9.
He explained that the monitoring period was calculated individually for each contact and did not begin simultaneously for everyone identified during the investigation.
The NCDC chief stressed that the completion of the monitoring period by some contacts did not automatically mean Nigeria had overcome the outbreak, adding that the WHO would be responsible for determining when the country could be officially declared Ebola-free.
According to him, the agency has sustained contact tracing, investigations into suspected cases, laboratory testing and surveillance at the country's entry points in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Federal Capital Territory Administration, state governments and development partners.
He said, “Although we don't have any new case, we still have to be vigilant. We are still not Ebola-free.
“Our surveillance system and contact tracing is throughout Nigeria. Some people manage the airport, other people manage the land borders.”
Idris further disclosed that alerts received from Adamawa, Rivers and Borno states had all returned negative results following investigations.
He clarified that being identified as a contact of an infected person did not mean an individual had contracted the virus, noting that the exercise was designed to ensure early detection and prompt intervention should symptoms develop.
The agency called on healthcare professionals in both public and private medical facilities to strengthen vigilance, obtain patients' travel and exposure histories, adhere strictly to infection prevention and control measures, and immediately report suspected cases to the appropriate authorities.
It also advised Nigerians who develop symptoms after possible exposure to Ebola to avoid contact with other people and call its toll-free emergency line, 6232, for guidance before visiting a healthcare facility.
Beyond the Ebola situation, the NCDC expressed concern over other infectious diseases, including dengue fever, chikungunya, diphtheria, cerebrospinal meningitis and Lassa fever.
The agency confirmed cases of dengue fever in Sokoto and Zamfara states, alongside chikungunya infections in Sokoto State.
To strengthen the response, Idris said national rapid response teams had been deployed to the affected states, with support from entomologists at the National Arbovirus Research Centre in Enugu.
The teams are providing assistance in disease detection, laboratory investigations, clinical preparedness, community sensitisation and mosquito-control activities.
He also cautioned against the tendency to assume that every fever-related illness was malaria, explaining that dengue and chikungunya could present similar symptoms, including fever, headaches, body aches and joint pains.
Idris identified severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, bleeding and breathing difficulties as possible warning signs of severe dengue complications, urging anyone experiencing such symptoms to seek immediate medical attention.
On cerebrospinal meningitis, the NCDC urged states within the country's meningitis belt to intensify disease surveillance, improve diagnostic capacity and strengthen clinical preparedness and vaccination campaigns as the dry season approaches.
The agency also identified diphtheria as a continuing public health concern, particularly among children who have not received their routine vaccinations.
It therefore urged parents and caregivers to verify their children's immunisation records and consult healthcare providers on how to complete any outstanding vaccine doses.
