The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has warned Nigerians about the possible outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease(EVD) in the country.
The warning came as a result of rapid risk assessment by the NCDC-led multi-sectoral National Emerging Viral Haemorrhagic Diseases Technical Working Group (NEVHD TWG), following the outbreak of the Sudan strain of the Ebola virus in Uganda, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The Uganda Virus Research Institute, on September 20, 2022, confirmed the virus in samples collected from a 24-year-old male who exhibited symptoms of the disease and later died in Mubende District in the Central Region, about 175 kilometres from the capital, Kampala.
As of September 29, 2022, the Ugandan Ministry of Health had reported 54 cases (35 confirmed and 19 probable), as well as 25 deaths (seven confirmed and 18 probable).
Although the NCDC said there had been no single case of the disease reported in the country, it assessed Nigeria as being a high risk for the importation of the virus due to increased air travels between Nigeria and Uganda, especially through Kenya’s Nairobi Airport, a regional transport hub, and other neighbouring countries that share a direct border with Uganda.
NCDC further explained that the likelihood of spread in Nigeria, following importation, was high due to the gatherings and travel associated with politics, the coming Yuletide, as well as other religious gatherings and festivals during the last few months of the year.
It emphasized that the risk of importation was high as the extent of the outbreak in Uganda had not yet been ascertained.
“Investigations had shown that some people might have died with similar symptoms which were not reported to the Uganda health authorities. Besides, their burials were not conducted safely to prevent transmission”.
NCDC while stating that it had heightened surveillance at the Points of Entry (POE), assured Nigerians that despite the risk assessment, the country has the capacity technical, human (health workforce), and diagnostic to respond effectively in the event of an outbreak.
“This is exemplified by our successful response to the Ebola outbreak in 2014, as well as improvements in our capacity for health emergency response during the COVID-19 pandemic”.
“We have the diagnostic capacity to test for the EVD presently at the National Reference Laboratory in Abuja and the Lagos University Teaching Hospital’s (LUTH’s) Centre for Human and Zoonotic Virology Laboratory. However, diagnostic capacity will be scaled up to other laboratories in cities with important Points of Entry (POEs) and others as may be required.
“An effective response system is in place with the availability of control capacities (trained rapid response teams, and an effective infection prevention and control programme) to limit the risk of spread in the event of a single imported case.”
Symptoms of the disease include fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headache, and sore throat later followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, and symptoms of impaired kidney and liver function. Symptoms may appear anywhere from two to 21 days after exposure to the virus, but the average is 8 to 10 days.
It stated that the Ebola virus does not currently have an effective drug for treatment or licensed vaccine for prevention, coupled with the fact that the death rate is between 41 to 100 per cent, the NCDC urged Nigerians to adhere strictly to the following preventive protocols.
Avoid non-essential travel to locations where the outbreak is reported for the moment; Avoid direct contact with blood, saliva, vomit, urine, and other bodily fluids of people with suspected or confirmed EVD;
“Call 6232 or other dedicated hotlines by state ministries of health to ensure all persons with suspected symptoms are promptly taken to designated healthcare facilities by the responsible state ministry of health for prompt diagnosis and initiation of supportive treatment”.