The Federal Government has directed the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to place 46 people who had contact with Nigeria’s confirmed Ebola patient on a no-fly list for 21 days as part of efforts to prevent the spread of the disease.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, gave the directive after a virtual meeting with the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, on Wednesday to discuss measures to contain the outbreak.
The patient, who recently travelled from Uganda to Nigeria, tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus disease on October 20. She reportedly developed symptoms on October 7 and sought treatment at a private health facility in Abuja on October 11.
Keyamo said the 46 contacts include 44 people who interacted with the patient at the hospital after she developed symptoms and two members of her domestic staff. He added that arrangements were being made to isolate the contacts while health authorities determine whether they had contracted the virus.
The minister also directed the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to strengthen surveillance and screening at international airports. The measures include temperature checks, travel history tracking, digital health declarations and coordination with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC).
Meanwhile, health authorities, with support from the World Health Organisation (WHO), have intensified contact tracing, case investigations and infection prevention measures to prevent further transmission.
The Bundibugyo strain currently has no approved vaccine or specific treatment. Ebola spreads through direct contact with the blood or other bodily fluids of an infected person showing symptoms, or through contaminated materials. Its incubation period ranges from two to 21 days.
Nigeria previously contained an Ebola outbreak in 2014 through coordinated public health measures, including isolation and contact tracing.
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