The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has placed Kano, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Lagos, and seven other states on high alert over the risk of importing the Bundibugyo Ebola Virus Disease currently spreading in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
In a nationwide advisory issued on Thursday, the NCDC warned that Nigeria remains highly vulnerable due to increased international travel, cross-border movements, and porous borders.
The other high-risk states are Rivers, Enugu, Borno, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Taraba, and Adamawa. Several additional states, including Kaduna, Katsina, Bauchi, and Plateau, have been classified as moderate risk.
The alert follows the World Health Organisation’s declaration of the Ebola outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
Although no case has been confirmed in Nigeria, the NCDC has directed all states to immediately strengthen surveillance and emergency preparedness measures.
The outbreak in Uganda and the DRC has so far recorded over 1,000 suspected infections and 247 deaths, with young and middle-aged persons mostly affected.
The NCDC noted that there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment for the Bundibugyo strain, unlike some other Ebola variants. This makes early detection and rapid response critical.
The disease spreads through direct contact with infected body fluids, contaminated materials, or infected animals, and not through the air.
Common symptoms include fever, weakness, headache, vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, and unexplained bleeding.
The agency has activated its Emergency Operations Centre and asked states to submit readiness reports within 72 hours while ensuring prompt reporting of any suspected cases.
NCDC Director-General, Dr. Jide Idris, urged all stakeholders to act proactively before any case is detected, emphasising that Nigeria’s previous successes in containing Ebola were due to swift response, strict infection control, and public cooperation.
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