Nigeria's health authorities are ramping up border screening and disease monitoring after the World Health Organisation confirmed that suspected Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda have climbed to 600, with 139 deaths reported.
The WHO Emergency Committee met in Geneva last week, where Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters that the outbreak remains a public health emergency of international concern, though not yet a pandemic. "The WHO assess the risk of the epidemic as high at the national and regional levels and low at the global level," Tedros said. The virus spreading through both countries belongs to the Bundibugyo strain, a type for which no vaccine or treatment currently exists.
Ebola kills within a week of infection, leaving little time for treatment. Symptoms include fever, sore throat, headache, and vomiting, which can take between two days to three weeks to appear fully. The virus spreads through close contact with blood and bodily fluids of infected people or animals such as fruit bats.
Nigeria learnt this lesson painfully in 2014, when an outbreak in West Africa killed more than 11,300 people, mostly in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea. Eight Nigerians died, among them Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh of First Consultant Hospital in Lagos. The virus arrived when Patrick Sawyer, a Liberia-American, flew into the country carrying the infection. He died in July 2014. Nigeria's swift response then, with strengthened border surveillance, trained health workers, and public awareness campaigns, helped the WHO declare the country Ebola-free by October 20, 2014.
Ebola cannot establish itself in Nigeria naturally. It can only arrive through borders, whether by air, sea, or land. Since there are no direct flights from the DRC, thorough screening of all passengers crossing Nigeria's borders is essential. The federal government proved in 2014 that this works. Passengers were screened and individuals who had travelled from affected areas were tracked. The international community commended Nigeria's response then, and those efforts saved countless lives.
Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention Director-General Jide Idris said his agency is closely monitoring developments in the affected countries and coordinating preparedness with the Port Health Services and other partners. "Response activities are ongoing in affected areas, and we are ensuring continued vigilance within Nigeria's public health system," Idris said. Though Nigeria has recorded no confirmed cases, the NCDC has already revved up its surveillance and emergency response capacity.
The WHO estimates it could take up to nine months before a vaccine against the Bundibugyo strain is ready. Two candidate vaccines are in development but have not yet undergone clinical trials. Until then, Nigeria's best defence remains what worked in 2014: screening at entry points, rapid disease detection, and swift containment of any suspected cases that slip through.
