Breaking: NCDC Raises Ebola Concern, Names Lagos, Rivers, FCT As High-Risk States

According to the agency, Lagos, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Rivers, Kano, Enugu, Borno, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Taraba, and Adamawa have been classified as high-risk states.

The NCDC linked this designation to factors such as increased international travel, cross-border population movement, porous land borders, and uncertainty surrounding the full scale of the outbreak.

It also listed Ogun, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Plateau, Kogi, Niger, Jigawa, Katsina, Bauchi, Ebonyi, Abia, and Bayelsa as states with moderate risk levels.

The agency explained that high-risk states are major hubs for trade and travel, often hosting international airports, seaports, and key land border crossings that increase exposure.

While stressing that all states and the FCT must remain prepared, the NCDC said the level of readiness should match each state’s assessed risk of importation and possible transmission.

The Director-General of the NCDC, Jide Idris, disclosed this in a public health advisory released on Thursday in Abuja.

He revealed that 1,077 suspected cases and 247 deaths have been recorded across the DRC and Uganda, with a case fatality rate of 24.6 percent.

Idris noted that individuals aged 14 to 45 years are the most affected, while both regional and national risk levels remain high.

He further stated that suspected cases have also been reported in India, while Canada has temporarily suspended travel applications from residents of the DRC, Uganda, and South Sudan due to the outbreak. Uganda, he added, has also introduced border control measures.

The NCDC boss explained that there are currently no approved vaccines or targeted treatments for the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, meaning response efforts rely heavily on rapid public health action.

He clarified that existing Ebola vaccines and monoclonal therapies are mainly effective against the Zaire strain and may not provide protection against the current outbreak strain.

Idris emphasized that Nigeria has not recorded any confirmed Ebola case linked to the outbreak.

However, he warned that Nigeria remains at high risk of importation due to regional transmission, international travel, porous borders, and the similarity of early symptoms to other common illnesses such as malaria and Lassa fever.

He outlined key preparedness measures, including early detection, isolation of suspected cases, contact tracing, safe burial practices, infection prevention and control, and strengthened surveillance systems.

He also highlighted the importance of clinical care, including supportive treatment for complications, management of co-infections, and care in designated isolation facilities, especially given the absence of strain-specific vaccines or approved therapeutics.

The NCDC has activated its National Emergency Operations Centre in alert mode to coordinate national preparedness with relevant agencies.

State governments were urged to strengthen their readiness by activating emergency coordination systems, improving surveillance at points of entry, and ensuring healthcare workers are trained to detect and report suspected cases quickly.

The agency also directed states to identify functional isolation facilities and establish clear referral pathways for safe case management.