62 contacts complete Ebola monitoring without secondary transmission, NCDC says

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) says 62 contacts linked to Nigeria’s imported Bundibugyo Virus Disease case have completed 21-day monitoring without secondary transmission. The NCDC Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, stated this at a news conference in Abuja, on Friday, November 13. He said the last contact was discharged after completing the mandatory monitoring period. Idris said 13 of the 62 contacts developed fever or other symptoms during monitoring but tested negative for Bundibugyo Virus Disease following laboratory investigations. He said seven additional alerts reported in Adamawa, Rivers, Borno, Lagos and Ekiti within three weeks were investigated, with all suspected cases testing negative after laboratory assessment. The NCDC boss, however, cautioned that completing contact monitoring did not constitute a formal declaration that Nigeria was free of the disease, emphasising that surveillance remained necessary. He said such a declaration would depend on applicable public health criteria and findings from ongoing surveillance, particularly amid continued Ebola transmission in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Idris said Nigeria had maintained heightened surveillance, with its National Emergency Operations Centre activated and Incident Management System operating at Level Three, the highest response level for Ebola. He said the national response prioritised clinical care, contact tracing, prevention of further transmission, protection of healthcare workers and strengthening disease surveillance across affected and potentially exposed communities nationwide. According to him, the index case was confirmed on Oct. 20 in the Federal Capital Territory following an alert raised by healthcare workers through NCDC’s event-based surveillance system. He said the early alert enabled the NCDC, FCT health authorities and other relevant institutions to promptly initiate investigations and establish an incident management structure for coordinated response activities. Idris said contact tracing covered healthcare facilities, households and other relevant settings, while identified contacts were assessed according to their exposure and monitored under established public health protocols. He added that infection prevention and control measures were strengthened in healthcare facilities, alongside healthcare worker training and provision of personal protective equipment and emergency response supplies. The NCDC director-general said laboratory and surveillance teams investigated reported alerts, while public health officials engaged communities and healthcare facilities to ensure early detection and prompt reporting of suspected cases. He said the agency sustained public communication to address concerns and misinformation, working with traditional and religious leaders, professional associations and community organisations to promote cooperation and public awareness. On the index patient, Idris said she was medically evacuated to Switzerland on October 26 for further management after receiving clinical care in Nigeria before her international transfer. He said laboratory tests initially confirmed that she remained positive upon arrival in Switzerland, but she subsequently recovered, tested negative and was discharged from hospital following treatment. 

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