By Akinwale Kasali
Following the spread of deadly Bundibugyo Strain of Ebola Virus Disease in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, NCDC, has alerted the public of possible outbreak and spread of the disease in the country, citing increasing regional transmission, international travel, porous borders, and population movement.
The disease in question, the agency noted, is already spreading in parts of East and Central Africa.
It was gathered that the NCDC in a national public health advisory issued to Commissioners of Health in the country which was dated May 27, 2026, noted that there are growing concerns over the spread of the Bundibugyo variant of Ebola — a rare strain for which there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment.
The agency listed Lagos, Rivers, Kano, Enugu, Borno, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Taraba, and Adamawa as high risk States, as well as Abuja because of their international airports, seaports, border routes, and high human traffic.
A statement by the NCDC stated that, “The immediate objective of our national preparedness and readiness efforts is to ensure that every state and the FCT can reasonably detect, contain, and respond swiftly to any suspected case while protecting health workers and sustaining essential health services”.
The agency, also, disclosed that although Nigeria has not recorded any confirmed case, a dynamic risk assessment conducted after the outbreak was declared a public health emergency of international concern showed that the danger of importation into Nigeria remains high.
NCDC added that 1,077 suspected cases and 247 deaths have already been reported in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, with a fatality rate of 24.6 per cent.
The outbreak has, also, according to the agency triggered international concern, with suspected cases reportedly identified in India, while Canada has announced temporary restrictions on travel applications involving residents of Uganda, DRC, and South Sudan.
“The current Bundibugyo virus outbreak has no licensed vaccines or approved targeted therapeutics.
Health workers must not wait for bleeding before suspecting Ebola in any patient with compatible symptoms and relevant travel or exposure history’ the agency submitted.
As part of the emergency preparedness measures, NCDC noted that its National Emergency Operations Centre has already been activated in alert mode to coordinate nationwide response efforts while adding that state governments have been directed to immediately activate Ebola preparedness structures, identify isolation centres, intensify surveillance at entry points, equip frontline health workers with personal protective equipment, and begin public sensitization campaigns to counter panic and misinformation.
Discover more from The Source
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
