ABUJA, Nigeria – The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has urged Nigerians to remain vigilant as 28 contacts linked to an imported case of Bundibugyo virus disease remain under monitoring.
The NCDC Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, gave the update on Tuesday, saying no new cases had been reported but Nigeria was not yet ready to be declared free of the outbreak. As of November 9, 34 of the 62 identified contacts had completed their individual 21-day monitoring periods, while the remaining 28 were still being followed up.
Idris explained that each contact has a separate 21-day monitoring period, depending on the date of their last possible exposure. Therefore, the completion of monitoring by some contacts does not mean the entire response has ended. He said the agency was continuing contact tracing, investigation of reported alerts, laboratory testing and surveillance at points of entry in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Federal Capital Territory Administration, state authorities and development partners.
The NCDC is also maintaining surveillance at airports and land borders to identify and investigate suspected cases. Idris said alerts reported in Adamawa, Rivers and Borno states had tested negative, adding that the agency remained on alert despite the absence of newly confirmed cases.
He stressed that being identified as a contact does not mean a person has contracted the virus. Monitoring is intended to identify symptoms early and ensure that anyone who becomes ill receives an appropriate public health response. The NCDC urged healthcare workers in public and private facilities to remain alert, obtain patients’ travel and exposure histories, observe infection prevention and control measures and promptly report suspected cases.
Join the conversation