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From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has explained that two suspected cases of viral hemorrhagic fever in Abuja have tested negative for Ebola and Marburg viruses.
NCDC, in a statement yesterday, noted that the suspected cases involved a traveller who, after returning to Nigeria from Kigali, presented himself immediately to a hospital, in Abuja, when he felt unwell.
It said the decision of the traveller to report early, combined with the vigilance of the clinician and hospital team, ensured that the public health system was promptly activated and that the risk to the public was minimised.
Director General of NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, in the statement, noted that the NCDC had already conducted a dynamic risk assessment following recent reports of Ebola viral disease in other countries, and anticipatory measures were being implemented nationwide.
“We have activated multi-disciplinary 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,” he said.
He confirmed that the NCDC national reference laboratories remained on standby to provide rapid testing, and public-health teams were ready to conduct contact tracing if needed.
“But 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.
“Similarly, healthcare workers in both public and private facilities must maintain a high index of suspicion, always apply strict infection-prevention measures, and report unusual cases immediately through the established IDSR channels,” he said.
He stated that private hospitals play a critical role in early detection and must be fully integrated into surveillance and preparedness efforts at all levels.
