The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) says 53 people identified as contacts of the country’s confirmed Ebola case are under public health surveillance, as authorities assess two additional suspected cases.
NCDC Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, disclosed the developments during a media briefing in Abuja on Sunday, stressing that suspected cases should not be treated as confirmed infections.
Idris said a suspected case identified in Rivers State had tested negative and the individual was cleared of the disease.
He said the index patient’s samples had repeatedly tested positive, while samples collected from the patient’s husband returned negative results. The Federal Capital Territory remains the only area with a confirmed case, according to the agency, and none of the identified contacts has tested positive.
The 53 contacts include healthcare workers, domestic staff, the patient’s spouse and other people who may have been exposed during medical care, sample collection or related interactions. Most are reportedly under quarantine and continue to be monitored.
The agency is considering a N100,000 stipend for each contact under quarantine after some reportedly threatened to leave the isolation centre. Idris said the proposed support would help ease the financial burden of complying with public health measures and encourage cooperation during the monitoring period.
One contact who reportedly felt unwell was tested and returned a negative result, the NCDC chief said.
The Federal Government has activated a coordinated national response to contain the outbreak and prevent further transmission. Authorities continue to monitor identified contacts as investigations proceed.
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