The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has confirmed that none of the 62 people exposed to Nigeria’s imported case of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) contracted the infection after completing the mandatory 21-day monitoring period.
Gatekeepers News reports that the agency disclosed this on Friday, announcing the discharge of the last person under surveillance and confirming that no secondary transmission had been recorded.
NCDC Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, announced the development during a briefing on Nigeria’s response to the imported Ebola case confirmed in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on October 20, 2026.
According to him, 13 of the 62 contacts developed fever or other symptoms during the monitoring period, but laboratory investigations confirmed that none had contracted the virus.
He added that the agency investigated seven suspected cases reported in Adamawa, Rivers, Borno, Lagos and Ekiti states over the past three weeks, all of which tested negative for Ebola.
Idris, however, cautioned against interpreting the completion of contact monitoring as a formal declaration that Nigeria was Ebola-free.
He said the country would maintain heightened surveillance and preparedness, particularly as Ebola cases continued to be reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“Interestingly too, for any country to declare Ebola-free, that would be done by the World Health Organisation based on its own protocols,” he said.
The NCDC chief explained that the imported case was detected after healthcare workers raised an alert through the agency’s event-based surveillance system, prompting an investigation involving FCT health authorities and other relevant institutions.
Following confirmation of the infection, the National Emergency Operations Centre was activated, while an Incident Management System was established to coordinate the national response.
Idris said the intervention included tracing and monitoring potentially exposed individuals, strengthening infection prevention and control measures in healthcare facilities, training health workers and distributing protective equipment and other emergency supplies.
He added that public communication and engagement with community leaders were intensified to tackle misinformation and encourage cooperation with health authorities.
Patient Recovers After Treatment in Switzerland
Providing an update on the index case, Idris said the patient initially received medical attention in Nigeria before being evacuated to Switzerland on October 26 for further treatment.
He disclosed that tests conducted upon her arrival in Switzerland confirmed that she was still positive for the virus. However, she subsequently recovered, tested negative and was discharged from the hospital.
Addressing concerns surrounding her evacuation, the NCDC director-general dismissed suggestions that the decision reflected a lack of confidence in Nigeria’s healthcare system.
He maintained that the private hospital where the patient was initially treated had managed her condition appropriately before the evacuation.
“It is not a matter of trust issues. The hospital here managed the case properly and as best as it could do,” he said.
NCDC Maintains Highest Ebola Response Level
Despite the successful completion of contact monitoring, Idris said the NCDC Emergency Operations Centre remained activated, with the Incident Management System operating at Level 3, the highest response level for Ebola.
He disclosed that all 36 states and the FCT had been incorporated into the national preparedness framework, although their levels of readiness varied.
According to him, 10 states with international airports and borders were initially identified as high-risk locations, while preparedness guidelines were also provided to other states.
“All the states are queued in. They may be at different stages of preparedness, but that is what we are urging them to do,” he said.
The NCDC chief said the agency would continue supporting state governments through training, initial supplies and other interventions to strengthen their capacity to detect and respond to infectious disease threats.
He added that surveillance would be sustained at international points of entry in collaboration with Port Health Services.
NCDC Warns Against Assuming Every Fever Is Malaria
As Nigeria approaches the December festive season, Idris urged residents and international visitors to seek prompt medical attention whenever they become unwell, particularly if they have recently travelled or may have been exposed to an infectious disease.
He cautioned Nigerians against assuming that every fever was malaria, advising patients to disclose their travel history and any possible exposure to healthcare workers when seeking treatment.
The NCDC director-general also called on organisers of religious gatherings, political rallies, concerts, festivals and sporting events to provide adequate sanitation, safe drinking water and medical assistance, while ensuring that suspected illnesses were promptly reported.
He said the agency had developed public health guidelines to guide organisers and participants at mass gatherings.
Idris further reminded international travellers arriving in Nigeria to complete the Nigeria Health Declaration Form before arrival and provide accurate information about their health and travel history.
“There is no reason for panic. What is required is continued vigilance, early reporting and cooperation with public health authorities,” he said.
Earlier, the Mandate Secretary of the FCT Health Services and Environment Secretariat, Adedolapo Fasawe, said the initial alert was raised by a private health facility after its medical team reviewed the patient’s travel history and suspected an Ebola infection.
She said the FCT Rapid Response Team was immediately deployed to the hospital, adding that members of the team also completed a three-week isolation period and remained healthy.
Fasawe commended the hospital for promptly reporting the suspected case and urged other private healthcare facilities to immediately notify the NCDC or FCT health authorities whenever they encounter suspected infections.
She attributed the successful management of the incident to collaboration among the NCDC, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, development partners and the FCT authorities.
