FG has placed Lagos, FCT, and Enugu among 7 other states on high Ebola alert over deadly new outbreak.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that the Federal Government, through the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, has placed the Federal Capital Territory and nine states on heightened Ebola surveillance following a fresh outbreak of the deadly Bundibugyo strain of the virus in parts of East and Central Africa.
In a public health advisory issued to state Commissioners for Health, the agency warned that Nigeria faces a significant risk of importing the virus due to increased regional transmission, cross-border movement, international travel, and porous borders.
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The high-risk areas identified include Lagos State, the FCT, Rivers State, Kano State, Enugu State, Borno State, Akwa Ibom State, Cross River State, Taraba State, and Adamawa State because of their airports, seaports, border corridors, and heavy human traffic.
According to the NCDC, the current outbreak involving the Bundibugyo strain poses a major public health concern because there is currently no approved vaccine or targeted treatment for the variant.
“The immediate objective of our national preparedness and readiness efforts is to ensure that every state and the FCT can detect, contain, and respond swiftly to any suspected case while protecting health workers and sustaining essential health services,” the agency stated.
Although no confirmed Ebola case has been recorded in Nigeria, the NCDC disclosed that a recent risk assessment showed the threat of importation remains high following the declaration of the outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern.
The agency revealed that Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have already recorded more than 1,000 suspected cases and hundreds of deaths linked to the outbreak, with a fatality rate estimated at 24.6 percent.
Global concerns have also intensified after reports of suspected cases emerged in India, while Canada reportedly introduced temporary travel-related restrictions involving residents from Uganda, DR Congo, and South Sudan.
Uganda has also strengthened border control measures to curb the spread of the disease.
Health authorities warned that the Bundibugyo strain differs from the more common Zaire Ebola strain, which existing vaccines and antibody therapies mainly target.
“The current Bundibugyo virus outbreak has no licensed vaccines or approved targeted therapeutics,” the advisory added.
The NCDC further cautioned healthcare workers against waiting for visible bleeding before suspecting Ebola, noting that early symptoms may resemble malaria, Lassa fever, or other common illnesses.
“Health workers must not wait for bleeding before suspecting Ebola in any patient with compatible symptoms and relevant travel or exposure history,” the agency warned.
As part of emergency response measures, the NCDC said the National Emergency Operations Centre has already been activated in alert mode to coordinate preparedness nationwide.
State governments have been directed to strengthen surveillance at entry points, activate emergency response systems, identify isolation centres, equip frontline health workers with protective equipment, and intensify public awareness campaigns to prevent panic and misinformation.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Government assured residents that no confirmed or suspected Ebola case has been detected in the state.
The Commissioner for Health, Akin Abayomi, said Lagos remains on high alert because of its strategic role as Nigeria’s major entry point but insisted there was no cause for panic.
According to him, the state’s disease surveillance and biosecurity systems remain fully operational and capable of responding swiftly to any biological threat.
“The Lagos Biosecurity Bio-shield was built to protect and remains ready to respond to biological shocks. Preparedness for us is not a temporary reaction; it is a permanent culture embedded within our health system,” Abayomi stated.
He noted that Lagos’ preparedness systems, first tested during the 2014 Ebola outbreak and later strengthened during the COVID-19 pandemic, remain active in tackling recurring public health threats such as cholera, diphtheria, and Lassa fever.
Nigeria’s latest Ebola alert has revived memories of the country’s successful containment of the virus during the 2014 outbreak after infected traveller Patrick Sawyer arrived in Lagos and exposed several people before authorities intervened.
At the time, global health experts feared a major outbreak due to Lagos’ dense population and commercial importance. However, rapid contact tracing, isolation measures, emergency coordination, and public awareness campaigns helped contain the virus within months.
The World Health Organization later described Nigeria’s response as one of Africa’s most successful Ebola containment efforts.
Health authorities are now urging Nigerians to remain calm, avoid misinformation, maintain proper hygiene, and promptly report suspected symptoms as surveillance and preparedness efforts intensify nationwide.
