By Mary Onyia
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has directed hospitals nationwide to promptly isolate suspected Ebola patients and report them to public health authorities without waiting for laboratory confirmation, as it tracks 53 contacts of Nigeria’s first confirmed case in the current outbreak.
The NCDC Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, gave the directive following confirmation of Ebola disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus in the Federal Capital Territory on October 20. He said swift identification, isolation and strict infection prevention measures were critical to protecting healthcare workers and preventing further transmission.
According to the NCDC’s October 24 situation report, the 53 contacts include healthcare workers, domestic staff and the patient’s spouse. They are being monitored for 21 days after their last possible exposure. The confirmed patient, a 42-year-old woman who arrived from Uganda via Addis Ababa on October 3, was reported to be improving while receiving treatment in isolation.
Idris urged hospitals to strengthen screening and triage, enforce hand hygiene and other infection prevention measures, and ensure the appropriate use of personal protective equipment. He also cautioned against stigmatising contacts, stressing that being identified as a contact does not mean a person has Ebola.
The NCDC said it had activated its national incident management system and was coordinating surveillance, contact tracing, laboratory investigations and public risk communication with the Federal Ministry of Health, FCT authorities and partners.
A suspected case reported in Rivers State on October 23 tested negative, the agency said, while urging Nigerians to rely on official information and promptly report suspected infections.