The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has stepped up surveillance at the country’s airports, seaports and land borders following the continued spread of Bundibugyo Ebola virus disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
The NCDC said Nigeria was on “high alert” and was strengthening preparedness and response measures to minimise the risk of the virus being imported into the country.
The latest advisory, signed by the Director-General of the NCDC, Jide Idris, followed a fresh risk assessment and consultations with public health experts and the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.
As part of the measures, travellers arriving from countries with active or relevant Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) transmission have been advised to complete the Nigeria Health Declaration Form.
According to the Centre, the form provides travel, health, symptom and possible exposure information that could support surveillance and follow-up when necessary.
“Passengers from all other countries are exempted from completing the form at this time,” the NCDC said.
The latest measures came as the DRC continued to record new cases of Bundibugyo virus, with international health agencies supporting efforts to contain the outbreak.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said the DRC had recorded 7,672 confirmed cases and 3,699 related deaths as of 20 September, based on data available up to 19 September.
It added that 886 patients were hospitalised in isolation, while 1,879 people who had tested positive for the virus had recovered.
Ituri Province remained the epicentre of the outbreak, accounting for 5,913 confirmed cases and 2,703 deaths across 28 of its 36 health zones.
The ECDC also reported 58 additional confirmed cases and 23 deaths in the latest reporting period, with new infections recorded in Ituri, North Kivu, Haut-Uélé and Tshopo.
The scale of the outbreak has prompted further international support, with the ECDC announcing on 21 September that it would deploy two epidemiologists to the DRC to strengthen surveillance and support the outbreak response.
Nigeria had assessed the risk of Ebola importation as high in May following the emergence of the Bundibugyo outbreak in the DRC and Uganda.
At the time, the NCDC identified international travel, regional population movement, major airports, seaports, porous land borders, informal crossings and trade routes as factors that could increase the possibility of an imported case.
The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a species of ebolavirus. The ECDC said there were currently no licensed vaccines, post-exposure prophylaxis or specific treatments for disease caused by the virus.
It said surveillance, early identification, isolation, contact tracing and infection prevention therefore remained particularly important in controlling the spread.
The NCDC urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and seek medical attention promptly if they develop symptoms consistent with Ebola, particularly after possible exposure or travel to affected areas.
It also advised people who become ill after travelling to affected areas or having possible exposure to provide healthcare workers with relevant travel and exposure information.
The Centre said its preparedness measures would be continuously reviewed as the epidemiological situation evolved, stressing that the current interventions were precautionary and based on the changing regional risk.
The NCDC’s May advisory had stated that Nigeria had no confirmed case linked to the 2026 Bundibugyo outbreak.
The enhanced surveillance therefore seeks to detect and respond to any potential imported case early, particularly given the volume of movement between Nigeria and other African countries.
