Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate says genomic analysis of the country’s imported Ebola case indicates that the virus is closely related to the strain identified in the index case in Kenya, although no direct travel link has been established between the two cases.
Pate disclosed this during a press briefing on the Ebola situation, assuring Nigerians that the country has sustained its response efforts, with contact tracing, isolation and additional testing ongoing to prevent further transmission.
He said ”Nigeria still had only one confirmed case, adding that some tests conducted on identified contacts had returned negative results, while others were pending.”
He explained that further genomic analysis was being conducted through the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and laboratories at Redeemer’s University in Ede, Osun State.
The Coordinating Minister noted that the findings provided new information about the imported virus but cautioned that they did not establish a direct route of transmission between Nigeria and Kenya.
He said; ”further analysis could improve understanding of the relationship between the viruses.
“Nigeria government was coordinating its response through the incident management system led by the NCDC, with support from public health laboratories and disease control experts.”
He reassured Nigerians that the country had the capacity to manage the situation and urged the public to remain vigilant without panicking.
Also speaking, the Director-General of the NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, said the agency was strengthening surveillance, laboratory testing, case management, public communication and infection prevention and control measures across health facilities.
Idris said health workers would receive additional training on identifying suspected Ebola cases, protecting themselves during patient triage and promptly notifying public health authorities, stressing that hospitals across the country needed to remain alert and prepared to respond to any suspected case.
The NCDC Chief explained that Ebola is primarily transmitted through direct contact with the blood and other body fluids of an infected person, rather than through airborne transmission.
“We urged Nigerians to practice regular handwashing and good personal and environmental hygiene while following official public health guidance”.
He also cautioned against misinformation on social media, advising Nigerians to obtain verified updates from the NCDC, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the World Health Organisation and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
The government reiterated its commitment to providing regular updates as investigations progress, while urging Nigerians to cooperate with public health authorities to prevent the virus from spreading into communities.
