Ebola don land again o!

 Ebola is back in Nigeria. Twenty-two years after the last epidemic, the viral disease has made a re-ingress into the country. Unlike the last outbreak that was of Zaire strain, for which there is an approved vaccine, the present epidemic is of Bundibugyo strain with no licensed vaccine or treatment, although trials are reportedly being conducted on inventions. As with the last epidemic, the new case in Nigeria is imported, making it the fifth country to detect the virus since an outbreak was declared in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on 15th May, 2026. 

In Africa, the epidemic had hit Uganda and Kenya before surfacing in Nigeria. Uganda reported 20 cases and two deaths, but declared itself free of the disease in late August after its last patient was discharged; while Kenya had recorded nine cases as at Tuesday, last week. Outside of the continent, a doctor who returned to France in June from Congo tested positive, but there was no further spread of the virus there. There has been one case also linked to the DRC reported in the Netherlands.

The new patient in Nigeria is a woman described as Ugandan-born wife of a Swiss diplomat. Reports said she arrived in Abuja from Uganda on 3rd October after a two-week holiday in the East African country, and began showing symptoms on 7th October – four days after her arrival. Initially suspecting malaria, the woman sought care at a private health facility in the federal capital on 11th October. Laboratory tests she took confirmed Ebola diagnosis on 20th October.

There is no art of stealth like Ebola. The Nigerian case that showed up in October is linked to Uganda that had touted a clean bill since late August. (N.B.: Uganda sought to deflect complicity by claiming she also visited the DRC.) She came in on an international flight and her infection eluded health screening personnel at both Entebbe and Abuja airports. Then, she integrated into community, and it took four days before she herself felt something amiss with her health and sought help.

The Kenyan index case had similar exposure. That country’s authorities said he had lived in the DRC for seven years and had been ill for about a month before travelling by road from the DRC to Uganda’s capital, Kampala, and then taking a flight to ⁠⁠Nairobi. It was not clear how he had crossed from Congo ⁠into Uganda, given that the border shared by both countries has been closed since May over the outbreak that has claimed at least 4,600 lives, with more than 9,500 cases recorded in the DRC, the epicenter of the current epidemic.

Despite being ill, the index case passed health screening at both Entebbe and Nairobi international airports, with officials saying medication may have masked his symptoms. Ugandan authorities stated that screening teams observed he had a normal temperature at Entebbe airport. But he also passed airport screening at the Kenyan end to get into town. It was subsequently that a relation took him to Nairobi hospital where he was admitted with fever, chills and bleeding beneath the skin and was quickly placed in isolation. He died a few days later, and all additional cases identified so far were said to have been traced to his contacts.

Following the outbreak in the DRC, Nigeria stepped up disease surveillance, with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) issuing public health advisory to travellers. The agency said travellers from countries with active Ebola transmission were required to complete health declaration that those arriving from other countries were exempt. The agency also urged travellers to remain vigilant and seek medical attention promptly if they develop symptoms of Ebola. 

“There is no art of stealth like Ebola… Every Nigerian must stand guard against its creepy invasion”

With all the proactive protocols, Ebola yet found its way into the country. In confirming its inroad last week, government said contact tracing had begun in the drive to prevent further transmission, with 44 close contacts of the incident case already identified. Health and Social Welfare Minister Muhammad Ali Pate explained that the woman had been admitted into a private hospital in the federal capital where she received treatment for several days before Ebola diagnosis was confirmed. He said the woman was in isolation and was receiving medical care, adding that his ministry along with the NCDC and the Federal Capital Territory Health Services secretariat were working with other relevant authorities to contain the infection and prevent further spread.

Beyond the 44 close contacts of the incident case, efforts were underway to identify and monitor others who might have been exposed to the virus, including healthcare workers, patients, caregivers and travel contacts. The minister added that surveillance had been intensified, while the hospital where the patient was treated was receiving support to strengthen infection prevention and control measures.

Government charged public and private healthcare facilities nationwide to remain on high alert. It also directed healthcare workers to maintain a high index of suspicion, promptly identify and isolate suspected cases, observe strict infection prevention and control protocols, and immediately report suspected infections to public health authorities.

Ebola is a rare but deadly viral disease. It is highly contagious and spreads in human population through contact with bodily fluids of infected persons – living or dead – like vomit, blood or semen. It can also be transmitted through  contaminated surfaces and materials like bedding and clothing. As the disease progresses, it causes fever, vomiting and diarrhoea and can lead to organ failure. In severe cases, there could be internal and external bleeding. People infected with the virus do not transmit it before symptoms develop, and the incubation period ranges from two to 21 days.

Health Minister Pate allayed public panic. He urged Nigerians to remain calm while observing preventive measures including regular handwashing, and avoiding contact with the blood or other body fluids of anyone suspected of having Ebola. Symptoms to watch, he made clear, include fever, severe weakness, headache, vomiting and diarrhoea, particularly among people who may have been exposed to the infection. 

“Anyone who develops symptoms should avoid close contact with others and call public health authorities for guidance before visiting a healthcare facility,” the statement by him added. Government also urged people contacted by public health teams as part of the tracing exercise, including potentially exposed airline passengers, to provide required information and comply with official guidance.

NCDC said it had activated its incident management system to coordinate response efforts. It promised the public regular updates, and gave out the number of its toll-free call centre as 6232. The centre is available round-the-clock to obtain information or report a suspected case.

The World Health Organisation weighed in, saying it was working closely with Nigerian health authorities to strengthen control measures including case investigation, contact tracing, as well as infection prevention and control. It further said it was assisting with provision of essential supplies like personal protective gear for health workers. Rapid diagnosis of cases, timely follow-up of contacts and effective infection prevention and control, according to it, are critical in containing the spread of the virus. Governments were advised to maintain strong disease surveillance and ensure that laboratories can safely test suspected cases.

Nigeria stopped Ebola in 2014 and there is no reason it should fail to do so now. The heroine of that last battle, of course, was the late Dr. Stella Adadevoh, who literally sacrificed her wellbeing – and ultimately life – to stop the index case leaving hospital and going into town, thereby spreading the virus. There were at least eight lives lost in the outbreak. Now, the country has the benefit of experience. It is failing to apply that experience when many states are yet to open isolation centres for possible emergent cases, as Abuja had occasion to remonstrate late last week. 

The more reason why Nigeria mustn’t fail to swiftly stop Ebola now is so it does not jeopardise the 2027 general election. But it is not for government alone to take up the gauntlet. Every Nigerian must stand guard against its creepy invasion. This writer said it before and it bears restating that as pertains to personal responsibility, avoidance is the best strategy. Avoid needless contact with other persons’ body fluids (including through indiscriminate handshakes and hugs), wash your hands frequently under running water to remedy inadvertent contact, look out for identified symptoms and avoid sharing contaminated materials, avoid bushmeat for now. A battle foretold does not consume a cripple if he is wise to make an early escape.