Ebola: NCDC Tracks Contacts, Warns Hospitals Against Laxity

"Clinical teams are monitoring the patient’s condition while public health authorities intensify surveillance, contact tracing, laboratory investigations and community engagement." Idris, DG NCDC 

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has intensified efforts to contain the confirmed case of Ebola disease in the Federal Capital Territory, with public health teams tracking exposed persons and monitoring their health for 21 days.

The Director-General of the NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, disclosed this in an update on Nigeria’s Ebola response on Sunday, assuring Nigerians that the Federal Government had activated coordinated measures to prevent further transmission of the disease.

Idris said the response involved the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the NCDC, FCT health authorities, other relevant government agencies and technical partners.

He disclosed that the confirmed case was caused by the Bundibugyo virus, adding that the patient was receiving medical care under isolation, with infection prevention and control measures in place.

According to him, clinical teams are monitoring the patient’s condition while public health authorities intensify surveillance, contact tracing, laboratory investigations and community engagement.

Acknowledging the anxiety generated by the confirmation, the NCDC boss said the government was treating the situation with the urgency it deserved and deploying established public health systems to prevent further spread.

He said the response was being implemented through a structured Incident Management System coordinated by the Emergency Operations Centre, under the leadership of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare and the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease.

Idris explained that the case was detected after healthcare workers attending to the patient identified clinical features that raised suspicion of Ebola, triggering an alert through the NCDC’s event-based surveillance system.

He said the development demonstrated the importance of strengthening disease surveillance and maintaining a high index of suspicion among healthcare professionals.

“ The detection of this case demonstrates the importance of these systems and the critical role of healthcare workers in making them effective,” he said.

The director-general explained that, following the alert, the NCDC immediately engaged the FCT health authorities, leading to the necessary investigations and laboratory testing.

He added that the agency’s surveillance systems were designed to identify unusual public health events, trigger investigations and facilitate a coordinated response.

On contact tracing, Idris said public health teams were working to identify everyone who might have been exposed to the confirmed case, assess their level of exposure and monitor them for 21 days from their last possible exposure.

Those being investigated, he said, included healthcare workers, patients, caregivers, household members, travel-related contacts and other persons who might have had relevant exposure.

He noted that the number of contacts identified could change as investigations progressed, describing such adjustments as a normal part of the contact-tracing process.

The NCDC chief urged Nigerians contacted by public health officials to cooperate fully and provide accurate information about their movements, contacts and any symptoms they might have experienced.

He stressed that being identified as a contact did not mean that an individual had contracted Ebola, but indicated the need for proper assessment and monitoring.

“An identified contact does not mean that you have Ebola. It means that public health teams need to assess and monitor your health so that any possible infection can be identified early,” Idris said.

He added that public cooperation would enable authorities to identify potential cases promptly and prevent further transmission.

The NCDC boss also disclosed that efforts were underway to strengthen clinical management and infection prevention and control at the facility treating the patient.

He said the agency was drawing on experienced clinicians and case managers, including professionals who participated in Nigeria’s 2014 Ebola response, while mobilising additional expertise where necessary.

Idris said the NCDC was working with FCT health authorities to strengthen screening, triage, isolation readiness and healthcare worker protection across health facilities.

According to him, priority facilities are being assessed, while trained infection prevention and control professionals are being mobilised to provide practical guidance and mentorship.

He said the immediate objective was to ensure that anyone presenting with symptoms suggestive of Ebola could be identified early, safely separated from other patients and promptly reported to public health authorities.

The agency, he added, was maintaining heightened surveillance and ensuring that suspected cases could be investigated and tested without unnecessary delays.

Idris further said the NCDC was strengthening community engagement and risk communication to counter rumours and misinformation, promising regular updates as verified information became available.

He urged Nigerians to rely on information from the NCDC, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and other authorised public health sources, warning that false information could create panic, discourage people from reporting symptoms and undermine efforts to contain the disease.

The director-general also called on the leadership of public and private healthcare facilities nationwide to immediately review and strengthen their infection prevention and control measures.

He said screening and triage must be instituted and consistently implemented, while healthcare workers must maintain a high index of suspicion, particularly when attending to patients with compatible symptoms and relevant exposure histories.

He listed hand hygiene, environmental cleaning, injection safety and the safe management of sharps as essential precautions that must not be compromised.

Healthcare facilities, he added, must ensure that appropriate personal protective equipment was available in sufficient quantities and that personnel were adequately trained in its correct use.

Idris warned that suspected cases must be promptly separated from other patients and reported to the relevant public health authorities, stressing that healthcare workers should not wait for laboratory confirmation before taking appropriate precautions.

“Protecting healthcare workers is essential to protecting the communities they serve,” he said.

Reflecting on Nigeria’s previous experience with Ebola, Idris recalled that he was the Lagos State Commissioner for Health in 2014 when the disease was introduced into the country and was responsible for leading the state’s response.

He said the experience, which involved difficult decisions, uncertainty and significant pressure on healthcare workers, demonstrated the importance of effective leadership, coordination, early detection, contact tracing, infection prevention and control, and public trust.

According to him, the cooperation of Nigerians contributed significantly to the country’s successful containment of the 2014 outbreak.

He said Nigeria had since strengthened its public health systems, expanded its workforce and developed additional capacities for managing disease outbreaks.

However, he warned that the rapid spread of information in the digital age had also increased the danger posed by rumours and misinformation during public health emergencies.

The NCDC boss appealed to Nigerians not to circulate unverified claims or stigmatise patients, contacts, healthcare workers or affected communities.

He also urged citizens to maintain good hygiene, avoid direct contact with the blood and body fluids of anyone suspected of having Ebola, and refrain from caring for suspected cases without appropriate protective measures and guidance.

Idris advised anyone who might have been exposed to the virus to report promptly, even if they felt well.

He further urged people who developed symptoms after a possible exposure to contact public health authorities immediately and follow their instructions before visiting a healthcare facility.

He said the success of the response depended not only on government action but also on the cooperation of individuals, families, communities, healthcare institutions, professional associations, civil society organisations, the private sector and development partners.

The NCDC director-general said the immediate priorities remained identifying and monitoring contacts, protecting healthcare workers, providing appropriate clinical care and preventing further transmission.

He assured Nigerians that the response would continue to be guided by evidence and adjusted as new information emerged.

While expressing confidence in the country’s ability to overcome the challenge, Idris urged Nigerians to remain calm, cooperate with public health measures, support healthcare workers and reject misinformation.

He said a collective effort was necessary to prevent further spread and ensure that Nigeria remained free of Ebola.