62 Ebola contacts complete monitoring without secondary transmission-NCDC
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, NCDC, has announced that the 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, disclosed this on Friday in Abuja during a news conference, saying 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 added that seven additional alerts reported in Adamawa, Rivers, Borno, Lagos and Ekiti within three weeks were investigated, with all suspected cases testing negative.
However, the NCDC boss cautioned that completing contact monitoring did not amount to a formal declaration that Nigeria was free of the disease, stressing 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.
According to him, the index case was confirmed on October 20 in the Federal Capital Territory following an alert raised by healthcare workers through the NCDC’s event-based surveillance system.
He said contact tracing covered healthcare facilities, households and other relevant settings, while infection prevention measures were strengthened in healthcare facilities.
On the index patient, Idris said she was medically evacuated to Switzerland on October 26 for further management after receiving clinical care in Nigeria.
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.
The NCDC director-general urged Nigerians to remain vigilant, warning that completing contact monitoring did not eliminate the risk of possible Ebola importation through international travel.
He advised Nigerians to seek medical attention early when unwell, particularly after travelling or having possible exposure to infectious diseases.
Idris also cautioned against assuming that every fever was malaria, urging patients to disclose their travel history and possible exposure to healthcare workers.
He advised Nigerians to avoid unprotected contact with blood and other body fluids of anyone suspected of having Ebola.
The NCDC boss further urged healthcare workers to maintain a high index of suspicion, observe infection prevention precautions and report suspected cases promptly.
He said inbound international travellers were still required to complete the Nigeria Health Declaration Form before arrival and provide accurate information about their health and travel history.
During the question-and-answer session, Idris said the private hospital that initially managed the index patient handled her condition appropriately despite the multiple organ failures she experienced.
He explained that the patient was ambulatory and communicating before her evacuation to Switzerland, adding that the transfer was undertaken in accordance with her organisation’s requirements.
He said the evacuation should not be interpreted as a lack of confidence in Nigeria’s healthcare system but as international health collaboration and mutual learning under International Health Regulations.
Meanwhile, the Mandate Secretary, Health Services and Environment Secretariat, Federal Capital Territory Administration, Dr Adedolapo Fasawe, said the FCT response team successfully completed its three-week monitoring following contact with the index patient.
Fasawe said the FCT epidemiological unit received an alert from a private health facility concerning a suspected Ebola case involving a patient with relevant travel history.
She added that the FCT rapid response team was immediately deployed and an incident management structure established following laboratory confirmation of the infection.
She said private hospitals in the FCT were accredited, familiar with established response protocols and had access to NCDC emergency contact numbers for prompt reporting of similar incidents.
NAN
62 Ebola contacts complete monitoring without secondary transmission-NCDC