The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has identified nine additional contacts linked to Nigeria’s confirmed Ebola case, including three members of the infected patient’s household and healthcare workers who attended to her.
The latest development brings the number of primary contacts under surveillance to 53 as authorities widen efforts to trace everyone who may have been exposed to the virus.
The NCDC Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, disclosed this on Sunday during a press briefing, explaining that 44 contacts were linked to the health facility where the patient was treated, while nine others were identified outside the facility.
The additional contacts include members of the patient’s household and individuals who attended to her at an emergency room she visited before arriving at the facility where her Ebola infection was confirmed.
The agency is also tracing healthcare providers who handled the patient during her earlier visit, with three emergency room workers among those identified. Medical personnel involved in collecting samples from her are also covered by the investigation.
The expanded tracing exercise follows the Federal Government’s confirmation of an Ebola case in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on October 20. The initial contact figure stood at 44 before the latest additions.
According to information previously released by the World Health Organisation, the patient, a woman who had recently travelled from Uganda, developed symptoms on October 7 and sought medical attention on October 11.
Idris said the agency was extending its investigation beyond people who had direct contact with the patient to identify others who might have been exposed through those already on the surveillance list.
Health officials are interviewing identified contacts to establish their movements and interactions, with anyone found to have had potentially significant exposure being assessed for monitoring.
The NCDC said investigations were ongoing to establish the full chain of possible exposure and ensure that no relevant contact was overlooked.
Beyond tracing, the agency is strengthening infection prevention and control measures in healthcare facilities to reduce the risk of transmission among medical workers, patients and members of the public.
Idris explained that specialised teams routinely inspect health facilities to assess safety procedures and identify gaps that require urgent correction.
He also acknowledged the need to improve outbreak preparedness and technical skills among healthcare workers at state and local government levels.
The NCDC chief said training and capacity-building remained priorities, stressing that properly trained health workers and effective infection-control systems were essential to containing the outbreak and preventing further infections.
