Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has assured Nigerians that there is currently no confirmed case of Ebola Virus Disease in the country, while activating emergency surveillance measures amid fresh outbreaks in Central and East Africa.
In a public health advisory issued on Sunday, the agency said the country remains free of Ebola, despite rising concerns over confirmed cases in Uganda and the expanding outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo.
According to the advisory cited by Channels Television, NCDC Director-General Jide Idris said the agency had stepped up surveillance at entry points and across the health system.
He said Nigeria was working with the Port Health Service under the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to monitor the situation and strengthen preparedness against any possible importation of the disease.
The agency urged citizens not to spread false information and advised strict adherence to preventive measures, including regular handwashing and avoiding contact with bodily fluids of sick individuals.
Health workers across the country were also asked to maintain a high level of alert for patients showing symptoms associated with Ebola, especially those with recent travel history to affected countries.
The reassurance came after the World Health Organization declared the current outbreak in DR Congo a public health emergency of international concern.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced the decision following confirmation that the virus had spread to Goma, a major eastern city near the Rwandan border.
Authorities in DR Congo said the confirmed case in Goma involved the wife of a man who died from Ebola in Bunia. She reportedly travelled to Goma while already infected.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention reported that at least 88 people have died, while 336 suspected cases have been recorded in the latest outbreak.
Channels Television reported that experts remain concerned because there is currently no approved vaccine for the strain responsible for the latest outbreak.
