- Lagos, 9 States at High Risk as NCDC Warns of Ebola Spread Threat
- Explained that the high-risk categorisation also reflects the strategic status of these states
- Most affected age group is between 14 and 45 years
Lagos, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Rivers, Kano, Enugu, Borno, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Taraba, and Adamawa have been identified by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) as states at high risk of Ebola importation, following renewed outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the NCDC said the classification was based on increasing international travel, regional population movement, porous borders, and uncertainty surrounding the full scale of the ongoing outbreak in affected countries.
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Director-General of the agency, Dr. Jide Idris, disclosed this in a public health advisory issued on Thursday in Abuja, noting that Nigeria remains on heightened alert despite not recording any confirmed case of the disease.
He explained that the high-risk categorisation also reflects the strategic status of these states as major travel and trade hubs with international airports, seaports, and extensive border connections that increase vulnerability to importation.
According to him, Ogun, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Plateau, Kogi, Niger, Jigawa, Katsina, Bauchi, Ebonyi, Abia, and Bayelsa were classified as moderate-risk states, while all states and the FCT are expected to maintain Ebola preparedness according to their risk levels.
Idris revealed that a total of 1,077 suspected cases and 247 deaths had been recorded in the DRC and Uganda, with a case fatality rate as high as 24.6 percent.
He added that the most affected age group is between 14 and 45 years, while ongoing transmission and cross-border movement continue to raise regional and global concern.
The NCDC boss further disclosed that suspected cases had also been reported in India, while countries such as Canada have imposed temporary travel restrictions on individuals from affected regions including the DRC, Uganda, and South Sudan.
He noted that Uganda has also implemented border closure measures as part of containment efforts.
Idris warned that there are currently no approved vaccines or specific treatments for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus disease, stressing that existing Ebola vaccines are primarily effective against the Zaire strain and cannot be relied upon for the current outbreak.
“The current Bundibugyo virus outbreak has no licensed vaccines or approved targeted therapeutics,” he said.
He emphasised that control efforts must focus on rapid detection, isolation of suspected cases, contact tracing, infection prevention and control, safe burials, and community engagement.
According to him, the absence of strain-specific vaccines makes early supportive care critical, including clinical monitoring, treatment of co-infections, and management of complications in isolation centres.
Idris disclosed that the NCDC has activated its National Emergency Operations Centre in alert mode to coordinate preparedness efforts with federal and state authorities.
He urged state governments to immediately activate public health emergency structures, identify isolation centres, strengthen surveillance systems, and ensure healthcare workers are adequately trained and protected.
The NCDC also called for intensified monitoring at points of entry, including airports, seaports, and land borders, as part of efforts to prevent any potential importation into Nigeria.
