Nigerian health officials are concerned that the deadly disease may spread from Uganda
A Nigerian health watchdog has called on the nation to be on alert over an outbreak of Ebola in Uganda. The hemorrhagic viral disease notorious for its high mortality rate may spread into the country with air passengers, it warned.
“The likelihood of importation to Nigeria is high due to the increased air travel between Nigeria and Uganda, especially through Kenya’s Nairobi airport, a regional transport hub, and other neighboring countries that share a direct border with Uganda,” the statement released by the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) said.
If imported, it may spread domestically through mass gatherings of people, like political rallies, religious ceremonies or festivals, the organization warned. The national system for detecting Ebola infections is now “in alert mode,” it announced.
While the risk posed by the virus is high, Nigeria has the technology, trained medics and testing capacities to “respond effectively in the event of an outbreak,” the NCDC explained, citing the country’s experience in dealing with an outbreak in 2014.
The epidemic nearly a decade ago was the biggest on record. The infection spread far from Western Africa, where it is endemic in animals, and reached Europe and the US. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported 28,616 suspected, probable, and confirmed cases and 11,310 deaths in Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia, the three nations most affected.
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