All exposed persons complete 21-day surveillance without contracting the virus as agency maintains highest response level
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has confirmed that none of the 62 people exposed to Nigeria’s imported case of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) contracted the infection after completing the mandatory 21-day monitoring period.
The agency announced the development on Friday following the discharge of the last person under surveillance, confirming that no secondary transmission had been recorded.
The NCDC Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, disclosed this during a briefing on Nigeria’s response to the imported case confirmed in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on October 20, 2026.
He said 13 of the 62 contacts had reported fever or other symptoms during the monitoring period, but laboratory tests confirmed that none had contracted the virus.
Idris also disclosed that the agency investigated seven suspected cases reported in Adamawa, Rivers, Borno, Lagos and Ekiti states over the past three weeks, with all seven testing negative for Ebola.
However, he cautioned against interpreting the completion of contact monitoring as a formal declaration that Nigeria was free of Ebola.
According to him, the country would maintain heightened surveillance and preparedness, particularly as cases of the disease were still being reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
He explained that only the World Health Organisation (WHO) could formally declare a country Ebola-free, based on its established protocols.
“Interestingly too, for any country to declare Ebola-free, that would be done by the World Health Organisation based on its own protocols,” he said.
The NCDC chief said the imported case was detected after healthcare workers raised an alert through the agency’s event-based surveillance system, prompting an investigation involving FCT health authorities and other relevant institutions.
Following confirmation of the case, the National Emergency Operations Centre was activated and an Incident Management System established to coordinate the national response.
Idris said the response included tracing and monitoring people who might have been exposed, strengthening infection prevention measures in healthcare facilities, training health workers and distributing protective equipment and other emergency supplies.
He added that public communication and engagement with community leaders were intensified to address misinformation and encourage cooperation with health authorities.
Patient Recovers After Treatment In Switzerland
Providing an update on the index case, Idris said the patient initially received medical attention in Nigeria before being evacuated to Switzerland on October 26 for further treatment.
He disclosed that tests conducted upon her arrival in Switzerland confirmed that she was still positive for the virus. However, she subsequently recovered, tested negative and was discharged from the hospital.
Addressing concerns about the evacuation, the NCDC director-general dismissed suggestions that the decision indicated a lack of confidence in Nigeria’s healthcare system.
He maintained that the private hospital where the patient was initially treated had managed her condition appropriately before the evacuation.
“It is not a matter of trust issues. The hospital here managed the case properly and as best as it could do,” he said.
NCDC Maintains Highest Ebola Response Level
Despite the completion of the contact monitoring exercise, Idris said the agency’s Emergency Operations Centre remained activated, with the Incident Management System operating at Level 3, the highest response level for Ebola.
He disclosed that all 36 states and the FCT had been incorporated into the national preparedness framework, although their levels of readiness varied.
According to him, 10 states with international airports and borders were initially identified as high-risk locations, while preparedness guidelines were also provided to other states.
“All the states are queued in. They may be at different stages of preparedness, but that is what we are urging them to do,” he said.
The NCDC chief said the agency would continue supporting state governments through training, initial supplies and other interventions to strengthen their capacity to detect and respond to infectious disease threats.
He added that surveillance would be sustained at international points of entry in collaboration with Port Health Services.
NCDC Warns Against Assuming Every Fever Is Malaria
As Nigeria approaches the December festive season, Idris urged residents and international visitors to seek medical attention promptly whenever they become unwell, particularly if they had recently travelled or might have been exposed to an infectious disease.
He warned against assuming that every fever was caused by malaria, advising people to disclose their travel history and possible exposure to healthcare workers when seeking treatment.
The NCDC director-general also called on organisers of religious gatherings, political rallies, concerts, festivals and sporting events to provide adequate sanitation, safe drinking water and medical assistance, while ensuring that suspected illnesses were reported promptly.
He said the agency had developed public health guidelines to guide organisers and participants at mass gatherings.
Idris further reminded international travellers arriving in Nigeria to complete the Nigeria Health Declaration Form before arrival and provide accurate information about their health and travel history.
He assured Nigerians that there was no reason to panic, stressing the importance of continued vigilance, early reporting and cooperation with public health authorities.
Earlier, the Mandate Secretary of the FCT Health Services and Environment Secretariat, Adedolapo Fasawe, said the initial alert was raised by a private health facility after its medical team reviewed the patient’s travel history and suspected Ebola infection.
She said the FCT Rapid Response Team was immediately deployed to the hospital, adding that members of the team also completed a three-week isolation period and remained healthy.
Fasawe commended the hospital for promptly reporting the suspected case and urged other private healthcare facilities to immediately notify the NCDC or FCT health authorities whenever they encountered suspected infections.
She attributed the successful management of the incident to collaboration among the NCDC, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, development partners and the FCT authorities.