Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has warned that Nigeria faces a high risk of an Ebola outbreak due to increased cross-border movement and international travel amid ongoing infections in parts of Africa.
Gatekeepers News reports that in a public health advisory issued on Saturday, the agency said the threat is linked to the continued spread of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda.
Although no case has been confirmed in Nigeria, the NCDC said it has intensified surveillance and preparedness measures across the country.
The agency said the risk assessment was based on factors including population movement, international travel, uncertainty surrounding the scale of the outbreak, and the possibility of delayed detection because Ebola symptoms can resemble illnesses such as malaria and Lassa fever.
According to the NCDC, emergency response efforts already activated include stronger nationwide surveillance systems, enhanced laboratory readiness, increased monitoring at points of entry, and closer coordination with state health authorities and Port Health Services.
The warning comes as health authorities across the world heighten precautions over the outbreak. The United States recently imposed temporary entry restrictions on non-citizens travelling from Uganda, the DRC, and South Sudan as part of measures aimed at containing the spread of the virus.
World Health Organization (WHO) has also declared the Ebola outbreak in the DRC and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern, while the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the situation remains under close monitoring.
