Nigerian health authorities have expanded contact tracing to 53 people and announced emergency financial support for those placed under quarantine following a confirmed Ebola case in Abuja.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) confirmed on Sunday that Director-General Dr Jide Idris approved a weekly stipend of N100,000 ($61) per person to ease the financial burden on individuals required to isolate.
Dr Idris explained that the intervention, which includes funding for accommodation and feeding, was introduced after several contacts raised concerns about lost income and family upkeep during the compulsory 21-day public health monitoring period.
“We are providing N100,000 per person per week just to maintain their comfort and feeding,” Dr Idris said during a news briefing, urging state governments across the federation to prepare similar financial and logistical contingency funds.
Contact tracing expands beyond health facility
The number of identified primary and secondary contacts rose from 44 to 53 over the weekend as epidemiological investigations widened beyond the private hospital where the index patient was initially treated.
According to an NCDC situation report, 44 of the contacts are healthcare workers and patients associated with the clinic, while nine are family members and individuals who attended to the patient during an earlier emergency room visit.
One contact who reported feeling unwell tested negative for the virus, though routine daily monitoring continues for all line-listed individuals.
The patient, a diplomat who had recently traveled from the Democratic Republic of the Congo via Uganda, tested positive on 20 October for the Bundibugyo ebolavirus—a strain for which there is currently no approved vaccine or specific antiviral treatment.
Isolation centers and genomic testing prioritized
To strengthen national readiness, federal health authorities are identifying and equipping specialized treatment centers in states with major international ports of entry.
- Facility Upgrades: Needs assessments have been completed at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH) to optimize its isolation capacity, while an infection control assessment is underway at Karu General Hospital to handle potential patient surges.
- Genomic Sequencing: The NCDC National Reference Laboratory, alongside the African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), has completed full phylogenetic sequencing of the virus to assist regional surveillance.
- Subnational Readiness: The government has begun deploying personal protective equipment (PPE) and 500 donated testing kits to high-risk border states.
Public health officials reiterated that early detection, isolation, and strict infection prevention remain central to preventing community transmission, referencing strategies successfully deployed during Nigeria’s 2014 Ebola containment.
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