The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has reported two suspected cases of Ebola disease in the north-east, with both individuals currently in isolation as investigations continue.
In an update released on Saturday, the agency said efforts to identify and list people who may have had contact with the suspected cases were ongoing, alongside laboratory testing to determine their status.
“Being classified as suspected cases does not mean they are confirmed Ebola cases; confirmation is subject to laboratory results,” NCDC said. The agency urged Nigerians to maintain proper hand hygiene, improve sanitation and adhere to public health guidelines, adding that further updates would be provided as verified information becomes available.
Nigeria recorded its first Ebola case in more than a decade on October 20, when a 42-year-old Swiss woman tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain in Abuja after travelling from Uganda. She was isolated and treated by Nigerian health workers before the federal government evacuated her to Switzerland aboard a medical aircraft on Monday. Her husband, identified as a close contact, was also evacuated.
Ali Pate, the coordinating minister of health and social welfare, said the patient’s condition had improved significantly. He described her as stable, conscious and able to communicate, with her laboratory test results approaching baseline levels.