NCDC said passengers arriving from Uganda and persons who transited in Uganda are being followed up for 21 days after they arrived in Nigeria for their health status.
Following the rising cases of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Uganda, Nigeria has warned against the importation of the virus.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) in a public health advisory released Monday said as of 29 October, the Uganda Ministry of Health had reported 128 confirmed cases and 34 deaths since it officially declared the outbreak of the Sudan strain of the virus on 20 September 2022.
"This risk is due to the large volume of air travel between Nigeria and Uganda and the mixing of passengers, especially at the regional travel hubs of Nairobi, Addis Ababa, and Kigali airports and the additional risks from other neighbouring countries that share a direct border with Uganda should cases arise in other countries in the region," NCDC said.
The latest development is a result of the meeting held by the NCDC's National Emerging Viral Haemorrhagic Disease Technical Working Group on 26 September 2022 to assess the risk of importation of EVD to Nigeria.
"The outputs from this risk assessment are being used to initiate preparedness activities in the country," NCDC said.
NCDC efforts
NCDC further noted that several measures have been put in place to prevent and mitigate the impact of a potential EVD outbreak in Nigeria, noting that its Incident Coordination Centre (ICC) is now in alert mode and the development of an incident action plan for the first few cases of EVD has commenced.
It added that "POE surveillance has been heightened using the passenger pre-boarding health declaration and screening form in the Nigeria International Travel Portal (NITP) platform."
The agency added: "Passengers arriving from Uganda and persons who transited in Uganda are being followed up for 21 days after they arrived in Nigeria for their health status.
"Trained Rapid Response Teams are on standby to be deployed in the event of an outbreak. And all state Public Health Emergency Operations Centres (PHEOCs) are in alert mode."
Caution
NCDC added that for persons in Nigeria "with recent travel history to or transit through Uganda within the past 21 days who experience symptoms such as fever, muscle pain, sore throat, diarrhoea, weakness, vomiting, stomach pain, or unexplained bleeding or bruising should promptly call 6232 or state ministry of health hotlines for assessment and testing".
NCDC added: "Such persons should not visit health facilities by themselves to avoid further spread through the shared transport system (public or private). They would be visited at home by dedicated responders for assessment and transported through the designated transport arrangement to the designated treatment centre when required.
"Intending travellers to Nigeria with the above-stated symptoms before departure should not travel to Nigeria but call to report promptly to Port Health Authorities and/or designated health authorities in the country of departure for testing and care."
"Inbound travellers to Nigeria with a recent travel history to or through Uganda without symptoms on departure but who become unwell while on transit are required to avoid contact with people and to report to the Port Health Services on arrival at the point of entry to Nigeria".
The disease control centre added that travellers with a travel history to Uganda who show no symptoms on arrival should provide accurate information on the NITP platform to ensure follow-up from health workers and that if any of the symptoms develop anytime within 21 days of arrival in Nigeria, "please self-isolate immediately by staying indoors."
Preventive measures
To prevent the outbreak of the virus in Nigeria, the NCDC advised Nigerian citizens and residents to "avoid but essential travel" to Uganda until public health authorities have determined the outbreak to be contained.
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"When travel to Uganda is unavoidable, travellers are advised to avoid contact with obviously sick persons or suspected cases of Ebola. The Port Health Services of the Federal Ministry of Health has scaled up the screening of passengers returning from Uganda at POEs".
NCDC also urged Nigerians to wash their hands frequently by using soap and water or hand sanitisers, adding that healthcare workers should use personal protective equipment always when handling patients.
According to the NCDC, "the Ebola virus can be transmitted via direct contact with bodily fluids of a person who is sick with or has died from EVD. The virus can enter the body stream through broken skin or mucous membranes in the eyes, nose, or mouth.
"This can also be spread through contact with objects contaminated by infected persons as well as direct contact with the blood, body fluids and tissues of infected fruit bats, monkeys, or chimpanzees," the agency added.
