The Nigerian government has assured Nigerians of activating precautionary measures against the Ebola virus disease after the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda recorded hundreds of cases and a death toll that exceeded 130 earlier in the week.

Health minister Ali Pate stated that the virus had not entered Nigeria and the ministry in collaboration with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and Port Health Services was prepared to limit contagion in the event of an outbreak.

“While Nigeria currently has no confirmed case of Ebola Virus Disease, the federal government is taking all necessary proactive measures to strengthen national preparedness, surveillance, and coordination mechanisms to protect the health and well-being of all Nigerians,” the minister said in a statement on Wednesday by Ado Bako, assistant director of information at the health ministry.

According to Mr Pate, the ministry swiftly enhanced surveillance and monitoring across the country, “strengthened screening and health declaration protocols at points of entry”.

Mr Pate added that the ministry strengthened preparedness in laboratories and boosted diagnostic capacity to tackle tge virus. He advised Nigerians to maintain good personal hygiene, wash hands frequently and “avoid contact with bodily fluids of persons showing symptoms of illness”.

The minister urged the public to promptly report any unusual illness to the nearest health facility. Early symptoms include flu, headache, fatigue and fever.

As the virus matures, symptoms graduate to vomiting, diarrhoea which can cause organs to shut down. Advanced symptoms also include internal and external bleeding.

Ebola virus was first reported in Nigeria in July 2014 after Patrick Sawyer, an infected traveller from Liberia, landed in Lagos and presented symptoms of the disease. Mr Sawyer subsequently died from the disease.

Stella Adadevoh, the doctor who treated Mr Sawyer was also infected. Ms Adadevoh died in August 2014. She was posthumously honoured with Officer of the Order of the Niger by then-President Muhammadu Buhari in October 2022.