NCDC places Lagos, FCT, others on high Ebola alert

Nigeria's Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has issued a high Ebola alert for Lagos, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and several other states, citing the ongoing outbreak of the deadly Bundibugyo strain in East and Central Africa. The agency issued a national public health advisory on May 27, 2026, to Commissioners for Health across the country, highlighting Nigeria's significant risk of virus importation.

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The immediate objective of our national preparedness and readiness efforts is to ensure that every State and the FCT can reasonably detect, contain, and respond swiftly to any suspected case while protecting health workers and sustaining essential health services

The NCDC attributes this heightened risk to increasing regional transmission, international travel, porous borders, and extensive population movement. States identified as high-risk include Lagos, FCT, Rivers, Kano, Enugu, Borno, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Taraba, and Adamawa, due to their international airports, seaports, border routes, and high human traffic.

The advisory emphasizes the immediate objective: to ensure all states and the FCT can effectively detect, contain, and respond swiftly to any suspected cases, while safeguarding health workers and maintaining essential health services. Despite Nigeria not having recorded any confirmed cases, a dynamic risk assessment indicates a substantial danger of importation following the outbreak's declaration as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

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The current Bundibugyo virus outbreak has no licensed vaccines or approved targeted therapeutics

The Bundibugyo strain, unlike the more common Zaire Ebola strain, lacks licensed vaccines or approved targeted therapeutics. Health officials caution that early symptoms can mimic malaria or Lassa fever, complicating detection. The NCDC stressed that Ebola is not airborne and spreads through direct contact with infected bodily fluids or contaminated materials. The outbreak has already resulted in 1,077 suspected cases and 247 deaths in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, with a fatality rate of 24.6 percent, and has triggered international concern, including suspected cases in India and travel restrictions by Canada.

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Health workers must not wait for bleeding before suspecting Ebola in any patient with compatible symptoms and relevant travel or exposure history