The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has stepped up nationwide surveillance following concerns over a possible Ebola outbreak, even as two suspected cases in Abuja tested negative for both Ebola and Marburg viruses.
The Director-General of NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, confirmed this in a statement on Friday, explaining that the most recent suspected case involved a traveller who arrived in Abuja from Kigali, Rwanda, and reported feeling unwell shortly after arrival.
“The 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 minimised,” Dr Idris said.
He disclosed that the agency recently conducted a Dynamic Risk Assessment in response to fresh Ebola outbreaks in other African countries, which led to stronger preventive measures being rolled out in Nigeria.
According to him, surveillance at all points of entry has been intensified, while isolation and treatment facilities across states are now on standby. The NCDC has also prepositioned critical infection-prevention supplies in case of emergencies.
Dr Idris assured Nigerians that the agency remains fully prepared to respond to any potential public health threat.