The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) said it is monitoring 53 primary contacts linked to Nigeria’s confirmed Ebola case, as it expands investigations to identify people who may have been exposed to the patient at multiple locations
Briefing newsmen on Sunday in Abuja, Director-General of the NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, said the agency had also approved a weekly payment of N100,000 per person to support individuals placed under isolation or quarantine as part of efforts to contain the outbreak in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)
Idris said 44 of the 53 primary contacts were associated with the health facility where the patient was treated, while nine others had been identified outside the facility
The additional contacts include three members of the patient’s household and individuals who attended to her at an emergency room she visited before arriving at the facility where her Ebola infection was subsequently confirmed
The latest figure is up from the 44 contacts the Federal Government initially announced after confirming the Ebola case in the FCT on October 20
According to information previously provided by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the patient, a woman who recently travelled from Uganda, developed symptoms on October 7 and sought medical attention on October 11 before her infection was confirmed
Idris said investigations were ongoing to establish the full chain of possible exposure and ensure that everyone who might have come in contact with the patient was identified and placed under appropriate monitoring
He explained that the NCDC was extending its contact-tracing exercise beyond people who had direct contact with the patient to identify others who might have been exposed through the initial group of contacts
“As of now, we have 53 primary contacts Of these, 44 are people from that health facility where the patient was treated,” he said.
Explaining the process, Idris said health officials would interview each identified contact to determine whether they had interacted with other people who might also require monitoring
“For each person, we are going to ask questions We have to establish who they have been in contact with. If we can identify those people, they will also be monitored,” he said.
He disclosed that the patient’s medical history showed that she had visited an emergency room before presenting at the health facility where the infection was eventually confirmed
According to him, the agency had commenced efforts to trace individuals who attended to the patient during the earlier visit, with three healthcare providers from the emergency room included among the additional contacts identified
The investigation also covers healthcare personnel involved in collecting samples from the patient, underscoring concerns about the potential exposure of health workers during the management and investigation of suspected Ebola cases
The contacts identified so far include healthcare workers, members of the patient’s household, domestic staff and personnel involved in collecting samples from her
Health officials are categorising the contacts according to their level of exposure and conducting follow-up assessments to identify anyone who develops symptoms requiring further investigation
The NCDC said individuals under monitoring would be assessed promptly if they developed symptoms, with testing and other appropriate interventions provided where necessary
NCDC approves N100,000 weekly support
Idris said the NCDC approved a weekly payment of N100,000 per person to ease the financial burden on individuals identified as contacts of the confirmed case
According to him, some of those under public health monitoring had raised concerns about the cost of feeding, accommodation and providing for their families while complying with the restrictions and monitoring arrangements
He said the financial assistance was considered necessary to ensure that those identified as contacts could cooperate with health officials without facing additional economic hardship
“We are paying for their accommodation; we are paying for their feeding Some of them are asking for a stipend to maintain their families,” he said.
The NCDC boss added that the agency had approved N100,000 weekly for each person requiring the support to cover essential needs during the monitoring period
He explained that the intervention was not part of the agency’s initial response plan but became necessary in view of the challenges confronting people placed under public health monitoring
“This was not planned for, but it is an emergency We will continue to review it as we go along,” he said.
Idris noted that the arrangement would be reviewed as the outbreak response progressed, with the agency assessing the support based on prevailing circumstances and emerging needs
He also called for a broader approach to emergency preparedness, insisting that the responsibility for supporting people affected by public health emergencies should not rest solely on the FCT authorities
According to him, other states must also be prepared to provide similar assistance if they experience comparable outbreaks or public health emergencies
Idris said the NCDC was working to strengthen infection prevention and control measures in healthcare facilities to reduce the risk of transmission among medical personnel, patients and other members of the public
He explained that the agency’s infection prevention and control teams routinely assess health facilities to determine whether appropriate safety procedures are in place and identify gaps requiring urgent attention
Virologist faults Nigeria’s preparedness
Virologist and former president of the Nigerian Academy of Science, Prof Oyewale Tomori, has faulted Nigeria’s preparedness for Ebola, saying funds earmarked for emergency response should have been used to train health workers and equip isolation centres before the disease entered the country.
Tomori said the rise in the number of contacts being monitored following Nigeria’s first confirmed case highlighted the need for more extensive and rigorous contact tracing
In an interview with Trust TV’s Sunday Politics last night, Tomori said he initially considered the 44 contacts reported by health authorities insufficient, given the period between the patient’s onset of illness and confirmation of the case
“I was thinking we need to have more than that,” he said, adding that the increase in contacts under monitoring to 53 was welcome but that a more thorough search could identify additional people
Tomori said the priority should not be merely identifying contacts but ensuring that each person was closely monitored through regular temperature checks and promptly isolated if symptoms developed
He said effective contact tracing required personnel to visit households and communities, adding that the exercise would need adequate funding and logistical support
The virologist questioned whether the N10 billion approved by President Bola Tinubu in June 2026 for Ebola preparedness and other emerging public health threats had been released and deployed in good time
He said the funds should have been used to train health workers, equip facilities, establish isolation centres and ensure that relevant personnel were prepared to respond to an outbreak
He warned that approving funds alone would not guarantee preparedness unless the resources were released, properly deployed and translated into functioning systems
On screening at entry points, he said authorities should obtain accurate travel and contact details from passengers, while health workers should take proper histories when people report symptoms
He explained that Ebola’s incubation period could extend to 21 days, meaning health workers needed to ask patients about their movements over that period rather than immediately treating fever as malaria without investigating possible exposure
Tomori urged Nigerians arriving in the country to provide accurate phone numbers, addresses and seat numbers on travel forms, saying the information could help authorities trace people who might have been exposed