Ebola: NOA Advises Benue Residents To Be Vigilant

National Orientation Agency (NOA) has called on Benue State residents to remain calm and on alert following nationwide high alert for Ebola Virus Disease issued by the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.

The state NOA director, Mark Dewua, said while there was no confirmed case of Ebola in Nigeria, the risk of cross-border transmission has increased due to international travel.

“Ebola is a severe and often fatal illness spread through direct contact with the blood or body fluids of an infected person or animal,” Dewua explained.

He urged people to watch for symptoms such as sudden fever, weakness, headache, sore throat, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and unexplained bleeding, and to seek medical help immediately.

To reduce risk, the agency advised residents to wash hands regularly with soap and water or use hand sanitisers, avoid contact with symptomatic persons, “refrain from handling blood or personal items of sick people without protection, and avoid dead animals or bushmeat”.

Dewua also stressed the need to maintain good hygiene, report suspected cases to the nearest health facility, and rely only on verified information from health officials.

NOA said it remained committed to public health and safety, urging cooperation with health authorities to prevent any outbreak in Benue and Nigeria.