Ebola: Ogun Intensifies Surveillance, Says No Case Recorded

The Ogun State Government has stepped up disease surveillance and emergency preparedness following the Federal Government’s announcement of an Ebola outbreak in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), assuring residents that no case had been detected in the state as of 21 October, 2026.

The government urged residents to remain alert, adhere to preventive measures and refrain from spreading unverified reports that could cause unnecessary panic.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr Tomi Coker, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, saying the state had heightened its level of preparedness since Ebola was declared in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in March 2026.

Coker said 111 persons of interest, including passengers arriving from high-risk countries, had been identified and monitored. She added that they were subsequently released from follow-up after completing the stipulated surveillance period.

According to the commissioner, the state’s Public Health Emergency Operations Centre was coordinating preparedness and response efforts to facilitate the early detection, reporting and management of any suspected case.

She said the government had also trained Disease Surveillance and Notification Officers, port health officers, health educators, clinicians and community informants to improve their capacity to respond appropriately to potential cases.

Coker added that national guidelines, response protocols and other relevant materials had been adapted for implementation in the state, while public awareness campaigns and infection prevention and control measures in healthcare facilities had been strengthened.

She advised residents to rely on official public health channels for accurate information and avoid panic.

The commissioner explained that Ebola is a severe disease that can lead to serious illness and death, adding that its initial symptoms could be mistaken for those of other common illnesses.

She identified the symptoms as fever, severe weakness, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain. She noted that unexplained bleeding or bruising could also occur in some cases.

According to Coker, symptoms may appear between two and 21 days after exposure to the virus. However, she clarified that having these symptoms does not necessarily indicate Ebola, although anyone who may have been exposed or travelled to a high-risk area should seek prompt professional assessment.

She said the disease could spread through direct contact with the blood or body fluids of an infected person who had developed symptoms, the body of a person who had died from Ebola, or objects contaminated with infected bodily fluids.

To reduce the risk of infection, Coker urged residents to wash their hands frequently with soap and running water, using alcohol-based hand sanitiser when these were unavailable.

She also warned against contact with the blood or body fluids of anyone suspected of having Ebola and sharing needles, razors or other objects that could be contaminated.

The commissioner advised anyone who suspected they had been exposed to the virus to contact public health authorities immediately rather than wait for symptoms to appear.

She further urged anyone who developed symptoms following possible exposure to limit contact with other people and notify public health authorities before visiting a healthcare facility, allowing arrangements to be made for safe referral to an appropriate medical centre.

Coker called on residents to cooperate with surveillance and follow-up teams, provide truthful information when contacted by public health officials and adhere to all preventive guidance.

She cautioned against touching the bodies of people who died from suspected or confirmed Ebola, emphasising that trained teams must carry out safe and dignified burials.

The commissioner also urged the public to reject rumours, discrimination and stigmatisation, stressing the importance of sharing only information obtained from verified public health sources.

She said the state government would continue collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and other relevant partners to monitor the situation and implement measures to safeguard public health.

Coker urged healthcare workers in both public and private facilities to remain alert to possible cases, identify and isolate suspected patients promptly, maintain strict infection prevention and control practices, and immediately report suspected cases to the state surveillance team through Disease Surveillance and Notification Officers in their respective local government areas.

She provided the State Epidemiologist’s contact number as 08084250881 and the NCDC toll-free line as 6232 for reporting suspected cases and seeking public health advice.

The commissioner stressed that early detection, prompt reporting and collective action by residents, healthcare professionals and public health authorities were crucial to preventing the spread of Ebola.