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The Federal Government has intensified measures to prevent the spread of the Bundibugyo Ebola Virus Disease in Nigeria, saying the woman diagnosed with the imported case is showing signs of recovery.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja, citing encouraging laboratory results from clinicians treating the patient.
Pate said the latest test results indicated significant improvement, raising hopes of her recovery, although he cautioned that continued medical attention and containment efforts remained necessary.
He explained that contact tracing began immediately after the case was confirmed, covering people who had contact with the patient at the hospital, her home and a private clinic she had visited.
According to the minister, the patient was asymptomatic when she arrived in Nigeria but developed symptoms a few days later.
He said identified contacts had been classified into high- and low-risk categories, with high-risk individuals placed in quarantine at a designated facility, while others were being monitored in line with public health guidelines.
Pate said the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) was coordinating the response in collaboration with the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) authorities, where the case was identified.
He added that the government had activated its incident management system and briefed the Presidential Task Force, Nigeria Governors’ Forum and National Economic Council on the situation.
The minister said all state governments had been notified, while states with incomplete emergency response plans had been directed to finalise them urgently.
He disclosed that President Bola Tinubu had approved additional resources for the NCDC, alongside other domestic funding to strengthen containment efforts.
Pate said the government was adopting a coordinated, whole-of-government approach involving relevant ministries, agencies and state authorities to prevent further transmission.
He added that health facilities had been directed to prepare isolation beds and strengthen infection prevention and control measures, while healthcare workers had been advised to observe appropriate precautions when treating patients.
The Federal Government is also working with the World Health Organisation (WHO), Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and other technical partners to contain the disease.
Pate said arrangements were underway to sequence the virus's genome, with technical support from Prof. Christian Happi of Redeemer’s University, Ede, to improve understanding of the pathogen.
He further disclosed that screening measures at Nigeria’s points of entry were being strengthened, including checks to ensure that thermal imaging equipment remained functional and travellers were assessed according to their level of risk.
The minister urged Nigerians to cooperate with contact-tracing teams, comply with quarantine and isolation directives, and maintain preventive practices such as regular handwashing.
He advised anyone experiencing symptoms such as fever, headache or muscle aches, particularly with a relevant travel history, to self-isolate promptly and notify public health authorities.
Pate said there was no evidence at the time of the briefing that the infection had spread into the wider community, adding that the government would adjust its response as new information became available.
He urged Nigerians to remain calm and rely on verified information from public health authorities, assuring that the NCDC would continue issuing regular updates on the situation.
