The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention says there is currently no confirmed case of Ebola Virus Disease in Nigeria, despite renewed concerns over outbreaks reported in parts of East and Central Africa.
The NCDC says it is, however, intensifying surveillance and preparedness measures following the spread of the disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, where the World Health Organisation says nearly one hundred deaths have been recorded.
CAPTION in an advisory signed by the Director General of the agency, Dr. Jide Idris, the NCDC, says it is working closely with Port Health Services and other stakeholders to strengthen monitoring at entry points and ensure rapid response readiness across the country.
The agency noted that measures already activated include intensified disease surveillance, laboratory preparedness, infection prevention and control awareness in healthcare facilities, risk communication, and community engagement activities.
The NCDC is also advising Nigerians to remain calm, maintain proper hand hygiene, avoid contact with bodily fluids of sick persons, and report any unusual illness to the nearest health facility.
Healthcare workers have equally been urged to maintain a high level of suspicion for Ebola in patients showing symptoms such as fever, weakness, vomiting, diarrhoea, and unexplained bleeding, especially where there is a recent travel or exposure history.
Ebola virus disease is a severe viral illness transmitted through direct contact with infected blood, bodily fluids, secretions, or contaminated materials, with symptoms appearing within two to twenty-one days after exposure.
Editor: Ebuwa Omo-Osagie
