Ebola: FG Quarantines High-Risk Contacts, Tightens Airport Screening

-Pate says patient showing signs of improvement, urges Nigerians to remain vigilant

The Federal Government has quarantined high-risk contacts of Nigeria’s imported Ebola case and strengthened surveillance at the country’s entry points to prevent further spread of the disease.

The Minister of Health, Prof. Muhammad Pate, disclosed this on Thursday while briefing journalists after the National Economic Council meeting, saying the government had intensified contact tracing, surveillance and coordination with state governments.

Pate said the patient’s condition was improving, with laboratory results indicating progress towards possible recovery.

According to him, the patient arrived in Nigeria without symptoms but developed them days later, prompting investigations that identified contacts linked to a hospital, a private clinic and her domestic environment.

“The high-risk contacts have been quarantined fully in a facility. The others have been isolated and we’re ensuring that the isolation is enforced consistent with public health expert guidelines,” the minister said.

He added that the government had activated its incident management system, with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) coordinating the response alongside the Federal Capital Territory Administration and other relevant agencies.

Pate said additional resources had been released to the NCDC, while state governments had been directed to finalise their response plans and strengthen preparedness against a possible spread of the virus.

On airport surveillance, the minister said the government had ordered additional measures at points of entry, including ensuring that thermal imaging equipment was functional and that travellers were assessed based on the risk levels of countries they had visited.

“We are going to double down to ensure the point of entry is further protected,” he said.

The minister said Nigeria was working within the guidelines of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the International Health Regulations to strengthen screening while complying with established international protocols.

He added that public health authorities had diagnosed, confirmed and notified the WHO of the case within 24 hours of being informed, while local experts were being mobilised to support further genomic analysis of the virus.

Pate cautioned against complacency, explaining that Ebola spreads through direct contact with the body fluids of an infected person and is not an airborne disease.

“At this moment, there is no evidence to indicate that it has gone into the communities,” he said, stressing that the immediate priority was to trace all contacts and prevent community transmission.

He urged Nigerians not to panic but to observe basic preventive measures, including regular handwashing and promptly reporting symptoms such as fever, headaches and muscle aches, particularly where there was a relevant travel history.

The minister also urged private health facilities to maintain close communication with public health authorities, noting that the index patient had visited a private medical facility.

He said the Federal Government was engaging traditional and religious leaders, state governments, international partners and health professionals to ensure a coordinated response.

On public gatherings, Pate said the government had not recommended changes to scheduled conferences and major events because the case remained contained, adding that the position could be reviewed if new evidence warranted additional measures.

He called on the media and the public to rely on verified information from health authorities and avoid spreading misinformation that could undermine efforts to contain the disease.

“We don’t want it to go beyond it, and there’s no need to panic, but we have to be vigilant. Let’s trust the experts because the alternative to trusting the expert is a tragedy,” he said.