Ebola: NCDC Flags Lagos, FCT, 8 States High-Risk

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has placed Lagos, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Kano, Rivers and several other states on high Ebola preparedness alert.

The agency said the country’s risk level for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola Virus Disease has been assessed as “high” due to ongoing outbreaks in parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, warning that Nigeria faces a high risk of importing the virus.

In a public health advisory dated May 27 and sent to health commissioners across all 36 states and the FCT, the NCDC urged immediate action to strengthen surveillance, isolation centres and infection prevention systems.

It said: “The overall risk of importation of the disease into Nigeria has been assessed as HIGH due to increasing ongoing regional transmission, international travel, regional population movement, major airports, seaports, porous land borders, informal crossings and trade routes.”

Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) Building. Credit: The Guardian Nigeria News.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), increasing global concern over its spread.

Although Nigeria has recorded no confirmed case, the NCDC said its assessment shows a high risk of importation due to travel routes and border movements across West and Central Africa.

According to the advisory, over 1,077 suspected cases and 247 deaths have been reported in affected countries, with a fatality rate of up to 24.6 percent.

The agency grouped states into risk categories, placing Lagos, FCT, Rivers, Kano, Enugu, Borno, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Taraba and Adamawa among the high-risk states due to international travel hubs, seaports and porous borders. It warned that Bundibugyo Ebola currently has no approved vaccine or specific cure, making early detection and containment critical.

The NCDC also reminded health workers that symptoms may resemble those of malaria or Lassa fever in the early stages, urging them to maintain a high index of suspicion. It said its National Emergency Operations Centre has been activated in alert mode to coordinate national preparedness efforts.

The agency added that all states must strengthen contact tracing, isolation facilities, laboratory readiness and public health communication to prevent any outbreak.

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