The Federal Capital Territory Administration has assured residents that there is no outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease in Abuja.
FCT Mandate Secretary for Health and Human Services, Dr. Adedolapo Fasawe, made the clarification on Friday while addressing journalists at a press briefing in Abuja.
She explained that a suspected patient, who recently arrived in Nigeria from Rwanda, was promptly tested for Ebola and Marburg viruses and confirmed negative.
Her statement aligns with an update earlier released by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), which disclosed that two recent suspected cases of viral hemorrhagic fever in the FCT tested negative for both Ebola and Marburg.
Further laboratory investigations are ongoing for other fevers such as Lassa fever and dengue fever.
Dr. Fasawe credited the Administration’s “efficient surveillance system,” set up under the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, for the swift response.
“On behalf of the Honourable Minister, I can say today that Ebola is not in the FCT. Confirmed, verified, and said with authority,” she declared.
The health official further revealed that the patient in question checked into a private hospital immediately upon arrival in Abuja with fever symptoms.
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The hospital, Nisa Premier, followed due protocols by contacting health authorities, after which samples were collected and the patient was isolated.
“We even obtained the manifest of the flight the patient boarded to trace possible contacts, but I am pleased to confirm that there is no case of Ebola in Abuja. The patient is responding well to treatment for her fever,” she added.
Fasawe urged residents to improve their health-seeking behavior, stressing that not every fever should be assumed to be malaria.
“Any fever accompanied by unusual symptoms, especially bleeding, must be treated as a medical emergency. People should report promptly to the nearest health facility,” she advised.
The Mandate Secretary praised the FCT’s preparedness through its Emergency Operations Centre, assuring the public that the territory remains on alert to handle potential outbreaks.