Agency says patient was stable and clinically improved when she left; 54 contacts remain under surveillance
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has explained that the evacuation of Nigeria’s only confirmed Ebola patient to Switzerland was carried out at the request and expense of her government, insisting that the decision was not a vote of no confidence in Nigeria’s capacity to manage the disease.
The patient, who had travelled to Abuja from Uganda, was evacuated on October 26 after being treated in isolation in Nigeria.
According to the NCDC Director-General, Dr. Jide Idris, the patient, who was initially in poor clinical condition when she presented at a health facility, had improved considerably by the time she left the country.
“She left Nigeria stable, better clinically, and conscious,” the DG said during a scheduled Zoom meeting tagged “Capacity Building for Journalists: Effective Ebola Reporting” on Tuesday.
He explained that the evacuation followed a diplomatic request from the patient’s government and was undertaken at its cost.
The clarification came amid public discussion over why a patient diagnosed with Ebola in Nigeria was transferred to Switzerland for further care.
The NCDC DG said it was important to separate legitimate questions about Nigeria’s preparedness and response from misinformation.
“Some people have said it’s a vote of no confidence. That is not correct,” he said.
Nigeria has no confirmed case currently
The NCDC said that, following the evacuation, Nigeria currently has no confirmed Ebola case in the country.
However, this does not mean that the country has been declared Ebola-free.
Dr. Idris said 54 primary contacts linked to the confirmed case remain under daily follow-up, with most in quarantine in Abuja and a few self-quarantining at home.
Three contacts who developed symptoms were tested and all returned negative results.
He disclosed that the agency is also identifying secondary contacts of the primary contacts as part of efforts to establish that there has been no community transmission.
The NCDC DG warned against reports that Nigeria had already been declared Ebola-free, describing such reports as inaccurate and misleading.
He stressed that surveillance and contact monitoring must continue until the required period has elapsed without the emergence of another case, adding that if no secondary case emerges, Nigeria could expect to declare the outbreak over by December 7.
Evacuation contacts also under surveillance
The transfer of the patient to Switzerland has itself created another surveillance responsibility.
According to Dr.Aisha La Head, Community-Based Surveillance of NCDC’s Surveillance and Epidemiology Department, people involved in the evacuation and those exposed to the patient for the first time during the evacuation process would also have to be monitored for 21 days.
The patient’s husband, described by the agency as a high-risk contact, will continue to be monitored by Swiss authorities following a formal handover from Nigeria.
The NCDC said the transfer of responsibility for monitoring would be handled through the International Health Regulations (IHR) mechanism.
The development highlights why the evacuation of a confirmed Ebola patient does not bring surveillance to an immediate end.
What Nigerians need to know about Ebola
The NCDC used the media briefing to emphasise that Ebola is not airborne and does not spread like influenza or COVID-19.
In his presentation, The virus is transmitted through close contact with the blood or body fluids of a person who is sick with Ebola or has died from the disease.
The agency stressed that a person who has been exposed but remains well and without symptoms is not considered infectious.
Symptoms can develop between two and 21 days after exposure, although they typically appear within eight to 10 days.
Early symptoms may include fever, weakness, fatigue, headache, muscle and joint pain, sore throat and loss of appetite.
These symptoms can resemble malaria and other common illnesses, making a history of exposure particularly important in identifying suspected cases.
The NCDC epidemiologist warned that bleeding, despite the disease’s description as a viral haemorrhagic fever, is generally a late symptom and may be absent in many patients.
He urged Nigerians with symptoms and a relevant travel or contact history to seek guidance through the NCDC’s toll-free number, 6232, before visiting a health facility.
No licensed vaccine for the current virus
The briefing also highlighted the distinction between the Ebola virus involved in the current outbreak and the virus responsible for the 2014 West African Ebola epidemic.
The NCDC said vaccines and treatments developed for one Ebola virus species cannot automatically be assumed to work against another.
For the virus involved in the current outbreak, there is currently no licensed vaccine or definitive treatment, according to the briefing.
Treatment therefore focuses on supportive care, including managing dehydration and other complications and keeping patients stable.
The epidemiologist noted that many Ebola patients can survive with appropriate supportive care.
NCDC appeals for responsible reporting
The agency appealed to journalists to report the outbreak accurately and avoid sensationalism.
The DG urged journalists to verify information before publication and to use official NCDC channels when seeking clarification.
He also cautioned against publishing the names, photographs or addresses of patients and contacts.
The agency stressed that contacts should not be described as Ebola cases.
“Being a contact is not being infected,” the epidemiologist said, explaining that a contact is a person who has been exposed and remains at risk, but is not considered infected until symptoms and laboratory testing establish the diagnosis.
The NCDC also warned against stigmatising people placed under quarantine.
The agency said the public does not need louder headlines but accurate information that can help prevent further transmission and panic.
For now, Nigeria’s Ebola response remains focused on surveillance, contact tracing, early detection and isolation.
While the country’s only confirmed patient has been evacuated to Switzerland in a government-to-government arrangement, 54 primary contacts remain under monitoring and the authorities are continuing efforts to identify and follow secondary contacts.
The NCDC said the public should continue to rely on verified information and report concerns through its toll-free 6232 line, which operates around the clock.
