Nigeria steps up contact tracing, airport screening and emergency preparedness after confirming an imported Bundibugyo Ebola case in Abuja, as states activate response teams and lawmakers demand urgent funding.
The Federal Government and state governments have intensified surveillance, contact tracing and emergency preparedness following the confirmation of a case of Bundibugyo virus disease in Abuja, amid reports that the infected diplomat’s condition has deteriorated into multi-organ failure.
The patient’s identity and nationality have not been disclosed. However, health authorities have confirmed that the infection involves the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, which has also been linked to an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda.
According to a report by the Punch Newspaper,the Director of Public Health Laboratory Service at the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), Olajumoke Babatunde, disclosed the patient’s deteriorating condition at an emergency meeting in Abuja on Wednesday.
According to Babatunde, three rounds of molecular testing were conducted to establish the strain.
“The patient’s condition has deteriorated. We did three levels of tests, but all were molecular. The strain was Bundibugyo,” she said.
The development has prompted a coordinated national response involving the NCDC, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, aviation authorities, state governments and the National Assembly.
Authorities are prioritising case management, the identification and monitoring of contacts, infection prevention and control, public communication and the readiness of isolation facilities.
FG Assures Nigerians, Collaborates With Uganda
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, has urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and rely on verified public health information rather than panic.
Speaking to State House correspondents after a meeting with the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, at the Presidential Villa on Wednesday, Pate said the government was collaborating with Uganda and intensifying efforts to prevent further transmission.
“All I can tell you is that we are collaborating with our sister African nation of Uganda,” he said.
“What is important is that we have found this one case. We are doing contact tracing, and we are putting containment measures to ensure that it doesn’t go into our population.”
Pate said Nigeria had the public health institutions and experience required to manage the situation, recalling the country’s response to the 2014 Ebola outbreak.
He urged Nigerians to follow official health advice, avoid misinformation and cooperate with public health authorities.
“We must be vigilant, but not panic. People should respect public health information from trusted sources and not spread misinformation and false rumours,” the minister said.
He added that the NCDC’s incident management system was operating around the clock, with the Presidential Task Force on Ebola also supporting the response.
According to Pate, the case was imported and detected by Nigeria’s health system, while containment measures were being implemented to prevent wider transmission.
He said the government would provide regular updates and disclose significant developments as information became available.
Pate also confirmed that a review of Nigeria’s emergency response arrangements was ongoing, with coordination involving the Office of the National Security Adviser and relevant public health agencies.
NCDC Activates Emergency Response
The NCDC said it had convened its first incident management meeting following confirmation of the Abuja case and was finalising an incident action plan to coordinate the national response.
In a statement published on its X account, the agency said response teams were already conducting case management and other emergency activities.
“The Incident Action Plan is being finalised today; NCDC teams are on the ground conducting case management and response activities, prioritising enhanced surveillance, contact tracing, infection prevention and control, and coordinated risk communication,” the agency said.
The NCDC’s response includes identifying individuals who may have been exposed to the patient, assessing their risk and monitoring them for symptoms during the prescribed observation period.
Public health authorities have stressed that being identified as a contact does not mean a person has contracted Ebola. Such individuals require appropriate assessment and monitoring based on the nature of their exposure.
The reported sequence of events indicates that the patient arrived from Uganda on October 5, developed symptoms on October 7 and sought treatment at a private hospital in Abuja on October 11.
According to the NCDC, the patient’s travel history and failure to respond to malaria treatment prompted doctors to alert health authorities.
The Incident Manager of the National Ebola Disease Response, Dr Odianosen Ehiakhamen, said 44 contacts, mainly healthcare workers and hospital support staff, had been identified for monitoring.
He explained that most of the identified contacts were linked to the hospital where the patient received treatment.
Aviation Authorities Restrict Travel for 46 Contacts
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has directed the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to place 46 individuals linked to the reported case on a no-fly list for 21 days.
The minister announced the measure after a virtual meeting with Pate to coordinate aviation and public health interventions.
According to Keyamo, the group comprises 44 people who had contact with the patient at the hospital after symptoms developed and two domestic staff members.
He said the restriction was intended to prevent potentially exposed individuals from travelling by air while health authorities assessed their risk.
Keyamo directed the NCAA to notify domestic and international airlines of the restriction and instructed the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to strengthen screening and surveillance at international airports.
The measures include temperature screening, travel-history checks, digital health declarations and closer coordination with the NCDC.
FAAN has also begun deploying temperature-screening cameras to identify passengers with elevated body temperatures. Individuals flagged by the equipment are expected to undergo further medical assessment, while suspected cases will be isolated and evaluated.
The authority is also providing hand sanitisers and personal protective equipment for frontline personnel.
However, elevated body temperature alone does not establish an Ebola infection. Any suspected case requires further assessment by trained health professionals.
Senate Demands Mandatory Screening and Emergency Funding
The Senate has called for mandatory health screening of passengers arriving through international airports, seaports and designated land borders as part of efforts to prevent further transmission.
The lawmakers also urged the Federal Government to provide emergency funding for disease surveillance, laboratory testing, trained personnel and the establishment or strengthening of treatment and isolation centres across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The resolutions followed a motion sponsored by Senator Francis Faduyile, representing Ondo South, who warned that the risk of importing Ebola required a coordinated national response.
The Senate proposed health declaration forms, temperature checks and symptom screening for international arrivals, with additional scrutiny for travellers who had visited or transited affected areas within the preceding 21 days.
It also called for adequate protective equipment and trained personnel at points of entry, as well as an update of the Quarantine Act of 1976 to reflect contemporary public health requirements.
Senator Adamu Aliero said the health authorities had already begun implementing several of the proposed measures, while Senate Chief Whip Tahir Monguno called for the law to be amended.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio urged government agencies to act proactively, warning that wider transmission could place substantial pressure on the country’s healthcare system.
The Senate directed its committees on Health, Primary Healthcare, Disease Control, Aviation, Interior and Appropriations to inspect major entry points, engage relevant agencies and report back within four weeks.
House of Representatives Calls for Release of Health Funds
The House of Representatives has also urged the Federal Government to strengthen Ebola prevention measures and release outstanding appropriated funds to relevant health agencies.
The resolutions followed a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Amobi Ogah, who represents Isuikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency of Abia State.
Ogah warned that delays in detecting suspected cases, conducting laboratory tests, isolating infected individuals and tracing contacts could increase the risk of transmission.
He also highlighted concerns about public awareness, infection prevention supplies, healthcare workers’ preparedness and emergency response capacity.
The House called on the Ministry of Finance to release outstanding funds to enable health agencies to intensify surveillance, contact tracing, testing and other emergency interventions.
It also directed the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the NCDC to assess additional funding requirements in line with current epidemiological evidence and public health guidance.
The House Committee on Infectious Diseases was mandated to engage relevant ministries, departments, agencies and health institutions and report back for further legislative action.
States Activate Surveillance and Isolation Measures
State governments are strengthening preparedness, with several reporting surveillance activities, contact tracing and the activation of emergency response structures.
Anambra State said 40 persons of interest had been followed up, with 33 completing their monitoring period and being cleared, while seven remained under active monitoring as of October 20.
Ogun State reported that 111 persons of interest had been monitored and discharged after completing the required surveillance period. The state said no Ebola case had been recorded as of October 21, according to its Commissioner for Health, Dr Tomi Coker.
Niger State has placed its health system on high alert, activated emergency operations and said preparations were underway to complete an isolation centre.
Yobe State said it had established surveillance teams and contact-tracing arrangements across all 17 local government areas. The state also reported the availability of isolation centres in Bade, Potiskum and Damaturu, covering its three senatorial districts.
Yobe’s public health authorities said trained personnel would investigate possible exposures, strengthen surveillance at land borders and conduct community awareness campaigns. Security personnel would assist health teams accessing hard-to-reach areas affected by insecurity.
Ekiti State has stepped up preparedness through laboratory training, active surveillance, public awareness campaigns and the stockpiling of personal protective equipment.
The state has also established an Ebola Virus Disease Technical Working Group, conducted simulation exercises at the Federal Teaching Hospital in Ido Ekiti and trained healthcare workers in case management and infection prevention.
Its preparedness programme includes training for airport officials and environmental health officers, alongside arrangements for safe and dignified burial procedures where required.
Enugu State has reactivated its Public Health Emergency Operations Centre and intensified surveillance across its 17 local government areas. The Commissioner for Health, Professor George Ugwu, said surveillance around Akanu Ibiam International Airport was being reinforced in collaboration with Port Health Services.
Ugwu said there was no confirmed case in Enugu State and urged healthcare facilities to maintain a high index of suspicion, isolate suspected cases promptly and notify surveillance officers.
Kano State has also reactivated its Public Health Emergency Operations Centre and placed it on high alert.
The state’s Centre for Disease Control advised residents to report suspected cases through its emergency contact number, 07077974504, its designated email address, kanocdc@gmail.com, or the nearest Disease Surveillance and Notification Officer or health facility.
The United States Mission in Nigeria has also issued health advice to travellers, urging those who may have been exposed to monitor their health and seek medical guidance if symptoms develop.
Ekiti, Yobe and Other States Intensify Public Awareness
Beyond surveillance and isolation arrangements, state authorities are emphasising public education and cooperation with health workers.
Ekiti State has used radio announcements, public awareness materials and engagements with community leaders, religious organisations, traditional rulers and the media to encourage early reporting of suspected cases.
Yobe State said it had distributed infection prevention materials, including hand sanitisers, and was intensifying public enlightenment activities.
Health officials have urged Nigerians to avoid contact with the blood and other bodily fluids of infected people, follow instructions from health authorities and cooperate with contact-tracing teams.
Residents who believe they may have been exposed should promptly contact public health officials for guidance. Anyone who develops compatible symptoms after a possible exposure should seek medical advice and alert health authorities before arriving at a healthcare facility, where possible, to reduce the risk of exposing others.
Officials have also warned against stigmatising people identified as contacts or spreading unverified reports about suspected infections.
What the Bundibugyo Ebola Strain Means
Bundibugyo virus is a species of the Ebola virus group first identified during an outbreak in Uganda in 2007.
Ebola can spread through direct contact with the blood or other bodily fluids of an infected person who is symptomatic, as well as through contaminated materials. It is not ordinarily spread through casual contact with people who are not showing symptoms.
The Bundibugyo strain is particularly significant because vaccines and treatments developed for other Ebola virus species cannot automatically be assumed to be effective against it.
The World Health Organisation has stated that there is no approved vaccine or specific treatment for Bundibugyo virus disease. Patients require specialised supportive care, while early detection, isolation, infection prevention and contact tracing remain central to controlling transmission.
Nigeria’s experience in 2014 demonstrated the importance of rapid case identification, effective surveillance and coordinated public health action. The country recorded 20 confirmed and probable cases and eight deaths during that outbreak.
The Federal Government had earlier established a presidential task force chaired by Gbajabiamila and approved ₦10 billion for emergency preparedness, according to the information provided by officials. Measures included enhanced airport screening, digital health declarations for passengers from high-risk countries and isolation arrangements at Lagos and Abuja airports.
The current case will test the readiness of those arrangements, particularly the ability of federal and state authorities to coordinate surveillance, provide timely information and ensure that people identified as contacts comply with monitoring requirements.
For businesses and the wider economy, the immediate priority is to prevent further transmission while maintaining confidence in Nigeria’s public health safeguards and international travel systems.
The effectiveness of the response will depend on the speed of contact tracing, the availability of trained personnel and protective equipment, reliable laboratory testing, transparent communication and the cooperation of affected individuals.
For now, health authorities are urging Nigerians to remain alert without panicking, follow verified public health guidance a