Ebola: No evidence of community spread in Nigeria — FG

Federal Government has said there is no evidence that the Ebola virus disease has spread into Nigerian communities, assuring citizens that the country’s response remains focused on containing the single confirmed imported case, as the patient shows significant improvement and may recover.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, gave the assurance at a ministerial press briefing on the government’s response to the outbreak, saying health authorities had intensified contact tracing, isolation and surveillance to prevent further transmission.

Pate disclosed that the patient, who developed symptoms a few days after arriving in Nigeria, was responding to treatment, with laboratory results indicating considerable improvement.

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“Today, I spoke to the clinicians and I understand that her lab results are showing great improvement and there’s a possibility that she would recover from this,” he said.

The minister, however, cautioned that health authorities would not relax their efforts, stressing the need to sustain treatment and monitoring until the patient fully recovers.

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He explained that the case was classified as imported because of the patient’s travel history, adding that she was asymptomatic when she arrived in Nigeria but developed symptoms a few days later.

According to him, contact tracing commenced immediately after the case was confirmed, with health authorities identifying contacts at hospitals, a private clinic attended by the patient and within her household.

Pate said the contacts had been categorised according to their levels of exposure, with high-risk individuals placed in a designated quarantine facility, while others were isolated in line with established public health guidelines.

“Our focus is on the contact tracing and ensuring that we know exactly where those contacts are and it doesn’t go into the communities. And at this moment, there is no evidence to indicate that,” he said.

The minister said the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) was coordinating the operational response through the national incident management system, working closely with the Federal Capital Territory Administration and other relevant agencies.

He added that the federal government had briefed the Presidential Task Force, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and the National Economic Council, chaired by Vice-President Kashim Shettima, to ensure coordinated action at all levels of government.

Pate disclosed that all state governments had been informed of the outbreak, with most already having response plans developed with guidance from the NCDC. States yet to complete their plans had been directed to do so urgently.

He said the government had also provided additional resources to the NCDC to support containment activities, while mobilising further domestic resources to strengthen the country’s preparedness and response capacity.

The minister added that the federal government would continue engaging state commissioners of health and information to ensure consistency in public communication and coordination.

On Nigeria’s diagnostic capacity, Pate said health authorities had been able to diagnose and confirm the case, notify the World Health Organisation (WHO) and activate the response within 24 hours of being informed.

He said the government was working to sequence the virus’s genome to obtain further information about the infection, adding that Professor Christian Happi of Redeemer’s University had been invited to support the NCDC’s efforts.

“The capabilities are in country and the investments that have been made to get us here are bearing fruit,” he said.

Pate noted that the WHO, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and other international technical partners were supporting Nigeria’s response, including experts with experience in managing Ebola outbreaks in other countries.

He said traditional and religious leaders had also been engaged to promote public awareness and encourage Nigerians to follow verified health advice.

The minister stressed that Ebola was not an airborne disease, explaining that it spreads through contact with infected body fluids. He urged healthcare workers to observe infection prevention and control measures when attending to patients.

He advised Nigerians to practise regular handwashing, avoid contact with other people’s body fluids and promptly report symptoms such as fever, headaches and muscle aches, particularly where there was a relevant travel history.

Pate said federal hospitals and health facilities in the FCT had been directed to prepare isolation beds and strengthen infection prevention measures, while state governments were being encouraged to ensure similar preparedness in their facilities.

He also urged private healthcare providers to remain vigilant and promptly notify public health authorities of suspected cases, noting that the confirmed patient had visited a private facility.

On planned conferences and other large public gatherings, the minister said the government had not recommended changes to existing arrangements because the case remained contained.

“At this moment, there is no indication that requires us to alter the course of large gatherings that have been planned, but if the situation changes, we’ll make a determination,” he said.

Pate urged political leaders to avoid politicising the outbreak, describing health as a unifying issue that transcended political, religious and ethnic differences.

He also warned against the spread of misinformation, particularly on social media, saying unverified claims could undermine containment efforts by encouraging people under isolation or quarantine to disregard public health instructions.

“The alternative to trusting the expert is a tragedy,” he said, urging journalists and members of the public to rely on verified information from health authorities.

On border surveillance, Pate said the government was strengthening screening at the country’s points of entry in line with WHO guidance and the International Health Regulations.

He disclosed that additional capacity had been requested for port health operations, including ensuring that thermal imaging equipment was functional and that travellers were assessed according to the risk categorisation of affected countries.

The minister said the government would continue to monitor the situation and provide regular updates as investigations progressed, with the NCDC maintaining daily response meetings.

He called on Nigerians to cooperate with health authorities, particularly by complying with contact-tracing, isolation and quarantine instructions, to prevent further transmission of the virus.