The Federal Government has advised Nigerians to avoid all but essential travel to countries with confirmed cases of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), in a bid to prevent a recurrence of the deadly outbreak that struck the country in 2014.
Although no Ebola cases have been reported in Nigeria, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said yesterday it had activated heightened surveillance at points of entry and placed the health system on alert.
In a statement signed by its Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, the NCDC said an emergency response team was already in place to monitor developments, strengthen preparedness, and respond swiftly in the event of a suspected case.
“Persons already in Nigeria but with recent travel history to or transit through countries with Ebola cases in the last 21 days who experience symptoms such as fever, muscle pain, sore throat, diarrhoea, vomiting, weakness, stomach pain, or unexplained bleeding should immediately call 6232 or state health hotlines for assessment and testing,” the statement read.
The agency urged symptomatic travellers to shelter-in-place until health authorities respond, and warned against using shared public or private transport to prevent possible spread.
Idris noted that while the World Health Organization (WHO) has not recommended travel or trade restrictions, Nigeria had updated its contingency plan, optimised diagnostic capacity at designated laboratories in cities with international airports, and prepared Lassa fever testing facilities to scale up testing if necessary.
Nigeria’s last Ebola outbreak occurred in 2014 after a Liberian national arrived in Lagos with the virus, infecting 20 people and causing eight deaths before it was contained.
