By Michael Lim

Two individuals have been isolated by health authorities following suspicion that they may be infected by Ebola disease in Nigeria’s North-East region as they are being subjected to investigations and lab tests.

An update on the disease situation by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), said contact identification and listing were ongoing, while samples from the suspected cases were being subjected to laboratory testing.

It clarified that the classification of the individuals as suspected cases did not mean they had tested positive for Ebola, noting that confirmation would depend on laboratory results.

The public was advised to maintain proper hand hygiene, practise enhanced sanitation and follow preventive guidance issued by public health authorities.

The update added that further information would be provided as verified details become available.

By Nick Ibe, Abuja

Dr Mohamed Janabi, the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, says Nigeria currently has no Ebola case following the medical evacuation of the patient and her husband to Switzerland.

Janabi said this in a statement on his official X handle on Monday, adding that Nigeria would continue monitoring the 52 contacts, while Switzerland would manage the patient and follow up with her husband.

He said the lone patient and her husband are Swiss and their evacuation took place Monday morning.

The patient was clinically stable enough for the journey after Nigerian medical teams successfully managed her through the acute phase of the illness.

Janabi added that the development was a remarkable achievement by the Federal Government, health workers, clinicians, emergency responders and other partners involved in the Ebola response.

He congratulated Nigeria for the successful management of the patient which was a demonstration of Africa’s expertise, resilience and leadership in public health, particularly when countries worked together to respond to health emergencies.

The WHO regional director however warned that vigilance remained critical despite the evacuation, urging continued attention to contact monitoring and other response measures.

He said while Nigeria would maintain close follow-up of the 52 contacts, Switzerland would assume responsibility for the continued management of the patient and monitoring of contact number 53, her husband.

By Felix Umande

The Federal Government is planning to identify and equip Ebola treatment centres in states with designated ports of entry as the number of contacts linked to Nigeria’s confirmed case rises to 53.

The measure is part of efforts to strengthen preparedness against possible spread, with government assessing isolation capacity at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, UATH, and planning infection prevention and control, IPC, assessment at Karu General Hospital.

According to an Ebola situation report obtained on Sunday, authorities are also working to establish referral mechanisms for suspected cases, strengthen surveillance at ports of entry and improve capacity of healthcare facilities to manage infections.

The report stated that UATH had undergone needs assessment and optimisation for isolation and treatment, while IPC assessment was planned for Karu General Hospital to determine capacity for possible surge.

“The measures are aimed at ensuring that suspected Ebola cases can be identified, isolated and referred promptly, including in states that may need to respond to infections detected at international entry points,” the document stated, listing “identification and optimisation of treatment centres in states with designated POEs” and referral from point of detection to treatment centres as priorities.

The development comes as the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, NCDC, approved emergency payment of N100,000 per person weekly to support people in isolation or quarantine.

NCDC Director-General, Dr. Jide Idris, disclosed this during a press briefing on Sunday, saying the payment was introduced after complaints about cost of feeding, accommodation and family upkeep.

“We are paying for their accommodation; we are paying for their feeding. Some of them are asking for a stipend to maintain their families. We are providing N100,000 per person per week just to maintain their comfort and feeding, because they were complaining,” he said, noting it was not initially planned but necessary as emergency response.

Idris stressed that responsibility should not rest on FCT alone, urging states to prepare resources for contact tracing, isolation and surveillance.

According to the situation report, 53 contacts have been identified, line-listed and categorised, up from 44 initially announced. Of the 53, 44 are associated with the health facility where the patient was treated, while nine include household members and those who attended to her during earlier emergency visit.

NCDC is also tracking secondary contacts and monitoring daily, with anyone symptomatic to be assessed promptly. One contact who felt unwell tested negative.

The agency said genomic sequencing of the confirmed case has been completed by the NCDC National Reference Laboratory and African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases, with plans to share report and position additional reagents across national laboratory network.

IPC capacity assessments have been conducted across states, with plans to implement IPC ring strategy across concentric perimeters to strengthen screening and isolation. The national stockpile of personal protective equipment has been increased, with 500 donated testing kits incorporated.

Port Health Services has conducted in-depth investigation with aviation stakeholders, while enhanced surveillance at all ports of entry continues.

The confirmed case involves a woman who travelled to Nigeria after visiting Uganda, following a trip to Democratic Republic of Congo. She developed symptoms on October 7, sought care in Abuja on October 11 and tested positive for Bundibugyo strain on October 20.

The World Health Organisation said investigations continue to establish likely source of infection. NCDC urged Nigerians to remain calm, observe preventive measures and avoid stigmatising contacts.