Ebola: FG, States On Alert As Infected Diplomat Suffers Organ Failure

The Federal Government and state governments have stepped up surveillance, contact tracing and emergency preparations following reports that a diplomat diagnosed with the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola in Abuja has developed multiple-organ failure.

The patient’s name and nationality have not been disclosed.

Olajumoke Babatunde, Director of Public Health Laboratory Service at the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), provided the update at an emergency meeting in Abuja on Wednesday. She said three rounds of molecular testing confirmed the Bundibugyo strain, which is also associated with an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The development has heightened public health concerns as authorities work to prevent further transmission. However, the NCDC and other health agencies have urged Nigerians to remain vigilant, follow official guidance and avoid spreading unverified information.

Ebola can spread through direct contact with the blood and other bodily fluids of an infected person or contaminated materials. It is not ordinarily transmitted through casual contact with someone who is not showing symptoms.

The Federal Government confirmed the imported case in Abuja on Tuesday after a woman who had travelled from Uganda was admitted to a private hospital in the Federal Capital Territory. According to the NCDC, she arrived in Nigeria on October 5, developed symptoms on October 7 and sought treatment on October 11.

Her travel history and failure to respond to malaria treatment prompted doctors to alert health authorities, leading to further investigations and confirmation of the infection.

The NCDC has activated its incident-management system, with response teams working on case management, enhanced surveillance, contact tracing, infection prevention and control, and public risk communication.

FG collaborates with Uganda

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, said Nigeria was working with Uganda to contain the case and prevent the virus from spreading within the country.

Speaking to State House correspondents on Wednesday after meeting the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Pate urged Nigerians not to panic.

He said the authorities had identified the imported case and were tracing contacts while implementing containment measures.

Pate maintained that Nigeria had the institutions and experience required to manage the situation, recalling the country’s response to the 2014 Ebola outbreak.

He said the NCDC was working around the clock and that the Presidential Task Force on Ebola remained active. The government, he added, would provide regular updates as new information became available.

Pate also said Nigeria’s response plan was already under review, with coordination involving the Office of the National Security Adviser and other relevant institutions.

He stressed that containment depended partly on public cooperation, warning that people instructed to isolate themselves could undermine efforts if they ignored the guidance and continued moving around.

The minister urged residents to obtain information from trusted public health sources and avoid spreading rumours.

NCDC finalises response plan

The NCDC said it held its first incident-management meeting on Wednesday to coordinate the national response following confirmation of the Abuja case.

The agency said its incident action plan was being finalised, while teams were already carrying out case management and other emergency activities.

It added that contact tracing, surveillance, infection prevention and control, and coordinated public communication remained key priorities.

Health authorities have emphasised that being identified as a contact or person of interest does not automatically mean someone has Ebola. Such individuals are monitored because of possible exposure, and their status is assessed through public health procedures.

Anambra State said it had followed up 40 persons of interest. As of October 20, 33 had completed their monitoring period and been cleared, while seven remained under active follow-up.

Ogun State also reported that 111 persons of interest had been monitored and discharged after completing the required surveillance period, with no confirmed Ebola case recorded in the state as of October 21.

Niger State has placed its health system on high alert, activated emergency operations and said it was completing an isolation centre.

Aviation authorities restrict movement of contacts

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, directed the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to place 46 people who had contact with the reported case on a no-fly list for 21 days.

The group comprises 44 people who had contact with the patient at a hospital after she developed symptoms and two domestic staff members.

Keyamo said the restriction was intended to prevent possible transmission while health authorities worked to establish whether any of the contacts had been infected.

He directed the NCAA to notify local and international airlines and instructed the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to strengthen surveillance at international airports.

Measures include health screening, temperature checks, travel-history monitoring, digital health declarations and closer coordination with the NCDC.

FAAN has also begun installing temperature-screening cameras at airports. Passengers flagged by the equipment will undergo further medical assessment, while suspected cases will be isolated for evaluation.

The authority is also providing hand sanitisers and personal protective equipment for frontline workers.

The NCDC’s incident manager, Dr Odianosen Ehiakhamen, said 44 contacts had been identified, mainly healthcare workers and hospital support staff who may have been exposed during the patient’s treatment.

The World Health Organisation has urged countries in the region to maintain heightened vigilance to support early detection and prevent further transmission.

Senate calls for mandatory screening

The Senate has urged the Federal Government to introduce mandatory health screening for passengers arriving through international airports, seaports and designated land borders.

Lawmakers also called for emergency funding to strengthen disease surveillance, equip Port Health Services and prepare treatment and isolation centres across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The resolutions followed a motion sponsored by Ondo South Senator Francis Faduyile, who warned that the NCDC had assessed the risk of importing Ebola as high.

Faduyile recalled Nigeria’s 2014 outbreak, which recorded 20 confirmed and probable cases and eight deaths. He stressed the importance of early detection, contact tracing and coordinated emergency action.

The Senate proposed health declaration forms, temperature checks and symptom screening for international arrivals, with additional checks for travellers who had visited or transited affected areas during the preceding 21 days. It also called for exit screening during declared public health emergencies.

Lawmakers urged relevant agencies to provide trained personnel, thermal scanners, protective equipment and isolation facilities at entry points. They also called for the modernisation of the Quarantine Act of 1976 to reflect current public health needs and international standards.

Senate Chief Whip Tahir Monguno supported amending the law to bring it in line with present-day realities, while Senate President Godswill Akpabio urged agencies to act proactively.

The Senate directed its committees on Health, Primary Healthcare, Disease Control, Aviation, Interior and Appropriations to inspect major entry points, engage relevant agencies and report back within four weeks. The Committee on Legislative Compliance was tasked with monitoring implementation.

House of Representatives demands stronger response

The House of Representatives has called on the Federal Government to strengthen preventive and emergency medical measures and release outstanding appropriated funds to relevant health agencies.

The resolutions followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Amobi Ogah, who represents Isuikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency of Abia State.

Ogah warned that delays in identifying suspected cases, conducting laboratory investigations, isolating infected people and tracing contacts could increase the risk of transmission.

He also raised concerns about public awareness, shortages of infection prevention supplies, healthcare workers’ preparedness and emergency response capacity.

The House urged the Federal Government to mobilise public and private health institutions and place relevant agencies on high alert.

It also asked the Federal Ministry of Finance to release outstanding funds to support surveillance, contact tracing, laboratory testing and other emergency interventions.

The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the NCDC were asked to assess additional funding requirements based on current epidemiological evidence and public health guidance.

The House Committee on Infectious Diseases was directed to engage relevant ministries, departments, agencies and health institutions and report back for further legislative action.

States strengthen preparedness

Several states have announced measures to prepare for possible cases.

Yobe State said it had established surveillance teams, isolation arrangements and contact-tracing mechanisms across all 17 local government areas. The state’s Director of Public Health, Dr Nuru Sulaiman Muhammad, said health personnel had been deployed to investigate potential exposure and support early detection.

He said isolation centres were available in Bade, Potiskum and Damaturu, covering the state’s three senatorial districts. Surveillance was also being strengthened at land borders, while infection prevention materials were being distributed and public awareness campaigns conducted.

Ekiti State has increased preparedness through laboratory training, surveillance, public education and the stockpiling of personal protective equipment.

The state said laboratory personnel had received training in sample collection, handling and transportation, while surveillance teams had been trained in disease detection and response.

An Ebola Virus Disease Technical Working Group has also been established, and simulation exercises conducted at the Federal Teaching Hospital in Ido Ekiti. Healthcare workers have received training in case management and infection prevention, while airport officials and environmental health officers have been trained in passenger screening.

Enugu State has reactivated its Public Health Emergency Operations Centre and strengthened surveillance across its 17 local government areas.

The Commissioner for Health, Professor George Ugwu, said surveillance around Akanu Ibiam International Airport was being reinforced in collaboration with Port Health Services and other stakeholders. He stressed that no confirmed case had been recorded in the state.

Kano State has also reactivated its Public Health Emergency Operations Centre and placed it on high alert. The state advised residents to report suspected cases through its emergency contact number, 07077974504, its email address, kanocdc@gmail.com, or the nearest health facility or Disease Surveillance and Notification Officer.

Meanwhile, the US Mission in Nigeria advised travellers to monitor their health for 21 days after visiting areas affected by Ebola and seek medical guidance if symptoms develop.

The US government has also issued a health alert to its citizens following Nigeria’s confirmation of the imported case.

Health authorities continue to urge Nigerians to maintain hand hygiene, cooperate with contact-tracing teams and report possible exposure promptly. They have also warned against stigmatising people identified as contacts or spreading unverified claims about the outbreak.