No Secondary Ebola Infection As NCDC Completes Monitoring Of 62 Contacts

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) says none of the 62 people exposed to Nigeria’s imported case of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) developed the infection after completing the mandatory 21-day monitoring period.

The agency disclosed this on Friday, announcing the discharge of the last person under monitoring and confirming that no secondary transmission was recorded.

The NCDC Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, announced the development in a briefing on Nigeria’s response to the imported case confirmed in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on October 20, 2026.

He said 13 of the 62 contacts reported fever or other symptoms during the monitoring period, but laboratory tests confirmed that none had contracted the virus.

The agency also investigated seven suspected cases reported in Adamawa, Rivers, Borno, Lagos and Ekiti states over the last three weeks. All seven tested negative for the disease.

Idris, however, cautioned against interpreting the completion of contact monitoring as a formal declaration that Nigeria was free of Ebola.

He said the country would maintain heightened surveillance and preparedness, particularly because Ebola cases were still being reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“Interestingly too, for any country to declare Ebola-free, that would be done by the World Health Organisation based on its own protocols,” he said.

The NCDC chief said the imported case was detected after healthcare workers raised an alert through the agency’s event-based surveillance system, prompting an investigation involving the FCT health authorities and other relevant institutions.

Following the confirmation, the National Emergency Operations Centre was activated and an Incident Management System established to coordinate the response.

Idris said the response involved tracing and monitoring people who might have been exposed, strengthening infection prevention measures in healthcare facilities, training health workers and providing protective equipment and other emergency supplies.

He added that public communication and engagement with community leaders were also intensified to address misinformation and encourage cooperation with health authorities.

Providing an update on the index patient, Idris said she received medical attention in Nigeria before being evacuated to Switzerland on October 26 for further treatment.

He disclosed that tests conducted upon her arrival in Switzerland confirmed that she was still positive for the virus.

However, she subsequently recovered, tested negative and was discharged from the hospital.

Addressing concerns about her evacuation, the NCDC director-general dismissed suggestions that the decision reflected a lack of confidence in Nigeria’s healthcare system.

He said the private hospital where she was initially treated managed her condition appropriately before the evacuation.

“It is not a matter of trust issues. The hospital here managed the case properly and as best as it could do,” he said.

Despite the completion of contact monitoring, Idris said the agency’s Emergency Operations Centre remained activated, with the Incident Management System operating at Level 3, the highest response level for Ebola.

He disclosed that all 36 states and the FCT had been incorporated into the national preparedness framework, although their readiness levels differed.

According to him, 10 states with international airports and borders were initially identified as high-risk locations, while preparedness guidelines were also provided to other states.

“All the states are queued in. They may be at different stages of preparedness, but that is what we are urging them to do,” he said.

The NCDC boss said the agency would continue to support state governments through training, initial supplies and other interventions to improve their capacity to detect and respond to infectious disease threats.

He also said surveillance would be sustained at international points of entry in collaboration with Port Health Services.

As Nigeria approaches the December festive season, Idris urged residents and international visitors to seek medical attention promptly whenever they become unwell, particularly if they have recently travelled or may have been exposed to an infectious disease.

He cautioned against assuming that every fever was malaria, advising people to disclose their travel history and possible exposure to healthcare workers when seeking treatment.

The NCDC director-general also called on organisers of religious gatherings, political rallies, concerts, festivals and sporting events to provide adequate sanitation, safe drinking water and medical assistance, while ensuring that suspected illnesses were reported promptly.

He said the agency had developed public health guidelines to guide organisers and participants at mass gatherings.

Idris further reminded inbound international travellers to complete the Nigeria Health Declaration Form before arrival and provide accurate information about their health and travel history.

“There is no reason for panic. What is required is continued vigilance, early reporting and cooperation with public health authorities,” he said.

Earlier, the Mandate Secretary of the FCT Health Services and Environment Secretariat, Adedolapo Fasawe, said the initial alert came from a private health facility after its medical team reviewed the patient’s travel history and suspected Ebola infection.

She said the FCT Rapid Response Team was immediately deployed to the hospital, adding that members of the team also completed a three-week isolation period and remained healthy.

Fasawe commended the hospital for promptly reporting the suspected case and urged other private healthcare facilities to immediately notify the NCDC or FCT health authorities whenever they encounter suspected infections.

She attributed the management of the incident to collaboration between the NCDC, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, development partners and the FCT authorities.