The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) confirmed that 28 people linked to the country’s only imported Ebola case remain under active monitoring, while 34 others have finished the mandatory 21‑day follow‑up period. The update, issued on Tuesday, noted that no new Bundibugyo virus cases had been detected as of 9 November.
Health authorities identified a total of 62 contacts after the confirmation of the imported case. Of those, 34 have completed their individual 21‑day monitoring, leaving 28 still under surveillance.
Director‑General Jide Idris said the response involved the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Federal Capital Territory Administration, state authorities and development partners. Measures included:
- Contact tracing and investigation of reported alerts
- Laboratory testing
- Infection prevention and control
- Safe clinical care
- Surveillance at points of entry
Idris cautioned that being identified as a contact does not mean an individual has contracted the virus. “Being a contact does not mean that an individual has contracted the virus,” he said, explaining that the 21‑day monitoring period is designed to spot symptoms early and provide timely medical care.
The NCDC had projected that monitoring of all 62 contacts would be completed by 13 November, with individual follow‑up periods ending between 31 October and 13 November.
The first imported case was confirmed in October when a woman who had arrived on an international flight from Uganda was diagnosed with Ebola. She was admitted to a private hospital in the Federal Capital Territory, treated for several days, and then evacuated to Switzerland for further care. Earlier, 44 close contacts had been identified for tracing, and on 31 October the NCDC announced two suspected Ebola cases in the North‑East, prompting additional surveillance and investigations.
<small>Source: Daily Post Nigeria — read the original story there.</small>
