Two Suspected Fever Cases in Abuja Test Negative for Ebola – NCDC
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has confirmed that two suspected cases of viral haemorrhagic fever recently recorded in Abuja have tested negative for both Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) and Marburg Virus.
In a public health advisory issued on Friday, the NCDC Director-General, Dr. Jide Idris, said further investigations are ongoing to determine whether the cases may be linked to other viral haemorrhagic fevers such as Lassa fever and dengue fever.
The development follows heightened public concern over possible Ebola cases in the Federal Capital Territory. Ebola virus disease, formerly known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever, is a severe illness with a fatality rate ranging between 25 and 90 per cent.
According to the NCDC, one of the suspected cases involved a traveller who returned from Kigali, Rwanda. He immediately presented himself at a hospital in Abuja after developing symptoms, a decision the centre described as responsible and life-saving.
> “His decision to report early, combined with the vigilance of the attending clinician and hospital team, ensured that our public health system was promptly activated and that the risk to the public was minimised. This responsible action is highly commendable and a good practice all Nigerians are urged to emulate,” the NCDC stated.
The agency commended the clinicians and staff of Nisa Premier Hospital, Abuja, for their swift response, which triggered a rapid, coordinated public health intervention.
The NCDC also assured that it is actively collating and analysing relevant data to strengthen its preparedness and response strategies, particularly in light of recent Ebola reports from other countries.
