Precious Nwonu, Enugu
The Federal Government has directed the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to prevent 46 people identified as contacts of Nigeria’s confirmed Ebola patient from travelling by air for 21 days as part of efforts to contain the infection.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, announced the directive on Wednesday following a virtual meeting with the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, on measures to prevent further transmission.
Keyamo said the list comprised 44 people who had contact with the patient at a hospital in Abuja after she developed symptoms and two domestic staff members.
He explained that the travel restriction would remain in place while health authorities monitored the individuals to determine whether any had contracted the virus.
The minister subsequently directed the NCAA to notify domestic and international airlines of the restriction to ensure compliance.
The decision followed Nigeria’s confirmation of an Ebola virus disease case caused by the Bundibugyo strain on October 20, the country’s first confirmed case since the 2014 outbreak.
The patient, whose nationality has not been officially disclosed, reportedly travelled from Uganda to Nigeria before developing symptoms on October 7. She sought treatment at a private hospital in Abuja on October 11 after experiencing symptoms initially considered consistent with malaria.
Her travel history and failure to respond to treatment prompted further investigations, which eventually confirmed the infection.
The Director of Public Health Laboratory Services at the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), Olajumoke Babatunde, said three rounds of molecular testing were conducted to identify the virus strain.
An official at an emergency response meeting in Abuja also disclosed that the patient was a diplomat and that her condition had deteriorated into multiple organ failure.
Health authorities have placed the patient in isolation, where she is receiving medical care, while contact tracing and other containment measures continue.
Keyamo also directed the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to strengthen Ebola surveillance and screening at all international airports across the country.
The measures include temperature checks, enhanced health screening, verification of passengers’ travel histories, digital health declarations and improved coordination between aviation officials and the NCDC.
The World Health Organisation is supporting Nigerian authorities with case investigations, contact tracing, infection prevention and control, and the provision of essential supplies, including personal protective equipment for health workers.
The Bundibugyo virus is a rare strain of Ebola for which there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment. The WHO has called on countries in the region to strengthen surveillance, laboratory testing and emergency response capabilities.
Ebola is transmitted through direct contact with the blood and other bodily fluids of infected people who are symptomatic, or through contaminated materials. Symptoms can develop between two and 21 days after exposure, making the monitoring of contacts crucial to preventing further transmission.
Nigeria successfully contained an Ebola outbreak in 2014 after an infected traveller introduced the virus into the country. The response relied on early detection, isolation, contact tracing and coordinated public health interventions.
Authorities are now focusing on monitoring identified contacts, strengthening infection prevention measures at the hospital where the patient received treatment and maintaining heightened surveillance at airports and other international entry points to reduce the risk of further infections.
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