Ebola: NCDC Tracks 53 Contacts, Directs Hospitals to Isolate Suspected Cases
Nigeria’s Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has identified 53 contacts linked to the country’s confirmed Ebola case and directed public and private hospitals to isolate suspected cases promptly without waiting for laboratory confirmation.
The agency’s Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, gave the directive in an update on the country’s Ebola response published on Sunday, October 25, as public health authorities continued contact tracing and strengthened infection prevention measures following the confirmation of the virus in the Federal Capital Territory.
According to the NCDC’s Ebola disease situation report dated October 24, the 53 contacts include healthcare workers, domestic staff and the confirmed patient’s spouse. The individuals have been identified, categorised and placed under follow-up.
The agency said contact monitoring would continue for 21 days after each person’s last possible exposure.
Idris urged the leadership of healthcare facilities across the country to review their infection prevention and control procedures, establish effective screening and triage systems, and ensure that appropriate protective equipment was available to staff.
He stressed that suspected cases must be separated from other patients and reported to the relevant public health authorities immediately.
Healthcare workers, he said, should not wait for laboratory results before taking appropriate precautions when Ebola is suspected.
The NCDC also emphasised the importance of hand hygiene, environmental cleaning, injection safety, proper handling of sharps and the correct use of personal protective equipment to reduce the risk of infection in healthcare settings.
Patient Receiving Treatment in Isolation
Nigeria confirmed its first case in the current episode on October 20 after laboratory tests detected the Bundibugyo virus in a 42-year-old woman who had recently travelled from Uganda.
The NCDC’s situation report said the woman arrived in Nigeria through Addis Ababa on October 3 and developed symptoms on October 7.
She visited a private health facility on October 10 and was admitted to another private facility the following day. The NCDC was notified on October 19, and laboratory testing confirmed the infection on October 20.
Her symptoms included fever, diarrhoea, generalised body aches and a sore throat. The report said bleeding was not reported.
As of October 24, the NCDC said the patient remained in isolation, receiving medical care, and had improved remarkably.
The agency has activated its national incident management system to coordinate surveillance, contact tracing, laboratory investigations, clinical care and other containment activities.
Rivers Suspected Case Tests Negative
The NCDC also reported that a suspected Ebola case recorded in Rivers State on October 23 tested negative following laboratory investigation.
The result was communicated to the state, according to the agency’s October 24 situation report.
The negative result meant the Rivers case was not confirmed as Ebola in that report. It was separate from the confirmed case in the FCT.
The NCDC said its response involved the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, FCT health authorities and other relevant agencies and partners.
The agency has also called on Nigerians identified as contacts to cooperate with public health teams, provide accurate information about their movements and possible exposure, and follow the instructions given by health officials.
It cautioned against stigmatising patients or contacts, noting that being identified as a contact does not mean a person has Ebola.
The World Health Organization has also confirmed Nigeria’s imported case and said investigations were continuing to establish the likely source of infection and reconstruct the patient’s travel and exposure history.
The immediate priorities remain identifying and monitoring potentially exposed people, protecting healthcare workers and preventing further transmission.
