Lagos, Kebbi tighten Ebola screening at airports and borders
- Lagos says it has no suspected Ebola cases but is boosting screening at Murtala Muhammed airport.
- Kebbi is screening travellers at Birnin Kebbi airport and three land borders.
- Both states acted after an imported Bundibugyo strain case was confirmed in Abuja.
Lagos and Kebbi states are tightening health checks at their entry points after an imported case of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola was confirmed in Abuja.
Lagos said it has no suspected Ebola cases of its own. In a statement on Sunday, the state's Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, said the government had met airport authorities, Port Health Services and other public health stakeholders to review preparedness at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
The discussions covered passenger screening, sharing of information, infection prevention and control, and how agencies would coordinate an emergency response.
What travellers should expect
In Kebbi, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr Zaki Abubakar Zaki, said screening had been stepped up at Sir Ahmadu Bello International Airport in Birnin Kebbi. Passengers arriving and departing are being checked at designated gates so suspected cases can be spotted early.
Similar checks are now in place at three land border crossings in Bagudo, Kamba and Arewa local government areas. Zaki said the ministry had also supplied protective equipment to general hospitals across the state.
Both states urged travellers to cooperate with health officials and give accurate travel and health information when asked.
What ordinary Nigerians should know
Ebola is a severe and sometimes fatal illness. According to the Lagos health ministry, it spreads mainly through direct contact with the blood or other body fluids of an infected person who already has symptoms, with contaminated materials, or with the bodies of people who have died from it. It can also spread through contact with infected animals.
Symptoms include fever, severe weakness, headache, muscle pain, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain. Some patients bleed or bruise without a clear cause. Signs can appear between two and 21 days after exposure, and early symptoms can look like malaria.
Lagos advised anyone with a fever to take a malaria rapid diagnostic test before using antimalarial medicine, and to see a health worker if the test is negative. It also urged people to wash their hands regularly, avoid contact with the body fluids of sick people, and stay away from sick or dead wild animals.
Anyone who suspects exposure should call public health authorities before going to a hospital. Lagos residents can use the emergency numbers 112 and 767, or call 0802 316 9485 to reach the Directorate of Epidemiology, Biosecurity and Global Health.
Lagos asked residents to rely on verified information rather than rumours, and advised travellers to follow official guidance from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria.
What happens next
Lagos said it will keep monitoring the situation and coordinating with stakeholders, and will issue verified updates as needed. Kebbi said it is committed to protecting residents through disease surveillance, border screening and coordination with health authorities.
