The NCDC noted that a total of 1,077 suspected cases and 247 deaths have already been recorded in the DRC and Uganda, with a case fatality rate of 24.6 per cent.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has warned that Nigeria faces a “high” risk of importing the deadly Bundibugyo strain of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) following worsening outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.
In a national public health advisory issued by the Director-General of the NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, the agency urged all state governments and the Federal Capital Territory to immediately activate emergency preparedness measures before any suspected case is detected in the country.
The agency noted that the World Health Organisation (WHO) had declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), warning that the declaration underscored “the seriousness of the regional threat and the need for Nigeria to strengthen preparedness.”
According to the advisory, although Nigeria has not recorded any confirmed case of the disease, a dynamic risk assessment conducted by the NCDC and its partners showed that the risk of importation remains high due to regional transmission, international travel, porous land borders, seaports, airports, and informal crossings.
