Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
Barely 5 days after the primary imported case of Ebola virus illness was evacuated to Switzerland, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has confirmed that two new suspected circumstances of the illness examined destructive in the North East state of Adamawa.
The NCDC had earlier yesterday reported that two suspected circumstances had been recognized in the North-east, and that they had been remoted, with contact identification and laboratory testing ongoing.
However, in an replace launched final night time, NCDC Director-General, Dr. Jide Idris, stated the circumstances, which had been recognized in Yola, Adamawa State, had returned destructive after two rounds of testing.
“Samples were collected for laboratory testing to establish the cause of the illness. Fortunately, the samples turned out negative for EBV after two rounds of testing,” Idris stated.
He clarified that there was no laboratory-confirmed EVD case in Adamawa State, including that the index case beforehand confirmed in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) remained the one confirmed case in Nigeria.
While commending the Adamawa State Government for its proactive response, Idris urged the general public to stay calm, keep away from sharing unverified data and proceed to practise good hand hygiene and enhanced sanitation.
He assured that NCDC would proceed to observe the scenario and supply updates as verified data turns into obtainable.
NCDC had initially stated it recognized two suspected circumstances of the illness in the North-east geopolitical zone.
The company, which didn’t disclose the actual state, added that laboratory testing was being carried out to find out whether or not the people had contracted the illness.
“Two suspected cases of Ebola disease have been identified in Nigeria’s North-east region. Both individuals have been isolated, contact identification and listing are ongoing, and laboratory testing is being conducted.
“Being classified as suspected cases does not mean they are confirmed Ebola cases; confirmation is subject to laboratory results,” the assertion learn.
The NCDC, nonetheless, cautioned that being categorised as suspected circumstances didn’t imply the people had examined constructive for Ebola, stressing that affirmation would rely upon laboratory outcomes.
The company urged Nigerians to keep up good hand hygiene, practise enhanced sanitation, and comply with steerage from public well being authorities.
It stated it might present additional updates as verified data turned obtainable.
The improvement got here lower than two weeks after the federal authorities confirmed Nigeria’s first imported case of the virus illness in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, on October 20, 2026.
The affected person, a girl who had travelled from Uganda to Nigeria, examined constructive for the Bundibugyo pressure and was subsequently remoted and handled by Nigerian well being employees.
Announcing the primary case of the illness, the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Ali Pate, had said that the contaminated girl had travelled to Nigeria from Uganda and developed signs on October 7 earlier than searching for medical consideration at a non-public hospital in Abuja on October 11.
After affirmation, well being authorities initially recognized 44 contacts of the affected person, together with healthcare employees, sufferers, caregivers, and individuals who might need travelled together with her.
The quantity later rose to 53, and well being authorities positioned the contacts beneath surveillance.
The affected person was subsequently evacuated to Switzerland on October 26 alongside her husband, who had remained asymptomatic.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) stated Nigeria would wish to finish a 42-day monitoring interval earlier than it may very well be declared freed from Ebola, comprising 21 days of monitoring for recognized contacts and one other 21 days in line with established protocols.
The federal authorities had introduced a fee of N100,000 weekly to every contact of the confirmed case to encourage compliance with quarantine directives and forestall potential neighborhood transmission.
