NCDC Isolates Two Suspected Ebola Cases in North-East, Contact Tracing Underway

Labels: News, Health, NCDC, Nigeria (Illustrative image) A health worker in full protective gear moving a supply trolley along a hospital isolation ward corridor. (Image: Fo) The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has placed two suspected Ebola cases under isolation in the country's North-East, and contact tracing is underway as laboratory confirmation continues. The agency says the precautionary measure is standard protocol while samples undergo testing, and there is no confirmed case at this stage. What Has NCDC Confirmed So Far? The NCDC said two individuals showing symptoms consistent with viral haemorrhagic fever were isolated after arriving from a neighbouring country where an Ebola outbreak is active. The suspected cases were detected through the agency's border screening and early warning systems, which were raised to heightened alert following the regional outbreak, Punch reported. Samples have been sent to the national reference laboratory in Abuja, and results are expected within days. Where Are the Suspected Cases? The two suspects are being managed at an isolation facility in the North-East, the region that borders countries currently reporting Ebola activity. The NCDC has not disclosed the patients' identities or the exact state where they are being held, in line with its practice on cases that are not yet confirmed. State health authorities in the region have been directed to activate their emergency operations centres and step up surveillance for symptoms among travellers and health workers, Channels Television reported. What Is Nigeria's Ebola History? Nigeria's most serious brush with Ebola came in 2014, when a Liberian traveller brought the virus to Lagos. The outbreak was contained within months, and Nigeria's response became a global case study in rapid containment, credited with limiting the spread to 20 cases and eight deaths through aggressive contact tracing. The country has since built up its detection capacity, including permanent testing capacity at the national reference laboratory and standing protocols at major airports and land borders. What Should Nigerians Watch For? The NCDC is urging the public not to panic but to observe basic precautions: avoid contact with the blood or body fluids of people showing symptoms such as sudden fever, vomiting, diarrhoea or unexplained bleeding, and report any such cases promptly to health facilities. Health workers have been reminded to apply standard infection prevention measures. The agency says it will announce laboratory results publicly once they are available. Frequently Asked Questions Does Nigeria have an Ebola outbreak? No confirmed case exists. Two suspected cases are isolated pending laboratory results, the NCDC says. Where are the suspected cases? Both are in isolation in the country's North-East, after arrival from a neighbouring country with active Ebola transmission. When will results come? Results from the national reference laboratory in Abuja are expected within days, and the NCDC says it will make them public. Sources: Punch, Channels Television, NCDC public statements.