The count is going up as the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has said it has identified two more suspected cases of Ebola virus disease and 53 primary contacts.
Director-general of the NCDC, Jide Idris, who spoke at a press briefing in Abuja on Sunday, said, “We have established two additional suspected cases and 53 primary contact links. They are primary contacts. We have an isolation centre and a quarantine centre”
Idris stated that about 12 public and private laboratories were available to test for Ebola, noting that the centre had improved the capacity of its laboratory to prevent further spread of the disease.
He said the centre was maintaining heightened surveillance and strengthening laboratory capacity to ensure suspected cases were promptly investigated and tested.
He appealed to the public and private healthcare facilities across the country to strengthen screening, triage and infection prevention measures, while ensuring healthcare workers have adequate personal protective equipment.
The NCDC noted that its public health teams were also identifying and monitoring people who may have been exposed to the confirmed case for 21 days after their last possible exposure.
Idris called on Nigerians contacted by public health officials to cooperate with contact-tracing teams and provide accurate information about their movements, contacts and symptoms.
