Lagos and Niger tighten Ebola checks after Abuja imported case
- Lagos says it has no Ebola case but has stepped up screening at Murtala Muhammed airport.
- Niger State says Suleja is on high alert because of its heavy traffic with Abuja.
- Nigeria confirmed an imported Ebola Bundibugyo case in Abuja on October 20, with 44 contacts monitored.
Lagos and Niger states have moved to tighten Ebola surveillance after Nigeria confirmed an imported case in Abuja, even as both governments said no case has been found in their states.
The federal case, confirmed on October 20, is the country's first in about a decade. According to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the World Health Organisation, the patient is a 42-year-old woman who travelled from Uganda and arrived in Abuja on October 3 on an Ethiopian Airlines flight.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, said 44 contacts have been identified and are being monitored. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has activated its incident management system to contain any spread.
What Lagos and Niger are doing
Lagos Commissioner for Health Prof. Akin Abayomi said on Sunday that there is no Ebola case in the state. He said the state's Directorate of Epidemiology, Biosecurity and Global Health is strengthening surveillance, risk communication and community engagement.
The state has also carried out an assessment at Murtala Muhammed International Airport with airport management, Port Health Services and other aviation and public health stakeholders. The focus was passenger screening, information sharing, infection prevention and control, and coordination of emergency response.
In Niger State, Health Commissioner Dr Murtala Muhammad Bagana said Suleja is on heightened alert because it shares a boundary with the Federal Capital Territory and sees heavy daily transit and trade with Abuja. He said surveillance has been intensified across the state, especially in Suleja, and health workers have been sensitised to detect and report suspected cases quickly.
What it means for residents
Ebola spreads mainly through direct contact with the blood and other body fluids of a person who is already showing symptoms, contaminated materials, or the bodies of people who died from the disease. It can also spread through contact with infected animals.
Symptoms can appear between two and 21 days after exposure and include fever, severe weakness, headache, muscle pain, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain. Some patients also have unexplained bleeding or bruising.
Abayomi noted that early symptoms can look like malaria. Under Lagos's fever-management policy, anyone with a fever should take a malaria rapid diagnostic test before buying antimalarial medicine. If the test is negative, a health worker should check for other causes.
He advised residents to wash their hands regularly, avoid contact with the body fluids of sick people and avoid contact with sick or dead animals. Travellers arriving in Nigeria, especially from areas reporting Ebola transmission, should cooperate with Port Health Services and give accurate travel and health information. He urged travellers to consult official advisories from the NCDC, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria.
Bagana urged Niger residents to rely on official updates and avoid spreading misinformation.
Anyone in Lagos who suspects exposure can call 112 or 767, or the Directorate of Epidemiology, Biosecurity and Global Health on 08023169485. Abayomi said the state will continue to monitor developments, strengthen surveillance and response readiness, and provide verified updates as necessary.
