The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has initiated an epidemiological investigation into an unconfirmed Ebola virus alert in Rivers State.
Director-General of the NCDC, Dr. Jide Idris, disclosed the development during a media briefing in Abuja on Sunday, clarifying that the Rivers State case remains unconfirmed pending final diagnostic evaluations.
The investigation comes on the heels of a confirmed index case involving a 42-year-old female traveler who arrived in Abuja on October 3, 2026, on an international flight from Uganda via Addis Ababa.
According to the NCDC Chief, the initial patient first presented clinical symptoms on October 7 and visited a private health facility on October 10 before being admitted to another private medical center the following day.
Formal notification reached the disease control agency on October 19, prompting immediate field investigations and laboratory sampling that confirmed the viral infection on October 20. The patient presented with symptoms including high fever, diarrhoea, generalized body aches, and sore throat, with no reports of external bleeding.
To ensure swift diagnostic capabilities nationwide, Dr. Idris revealed that approximately 12 public and private accredited laboratories have been mobilized to handle potential Ebola testing and sample processing.
The agency urged management teams across public and private healthcare facilities to immediately scale up screening, structured triage, and infection control protocols while providing essential personal protective gear for health personnel.
Dr. Idris further called on members of the public and individuals contacted by public health officials to cooperate fully with contact-tracing teams by providing accurate travel records, contact details, and symptom histories.
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