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

The government urged residents to remain vigilant, observe preventive measures and avoid panic or the spread of unverified information.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, noting that Ogun had been on heightened alert since the declaration of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in March 2026.

According to her, 111 persons of interest, comprising passengers from high-risk countries, had been identified, monitored and subsequently discharged from follow-up after completing the required surveillance period.

Coker said the state’s Public Health Emergency Operations Centre was coordinating preparedness and response activities to ensure the prompt identification, reporting and management of any suspected case.

She added that the government had strengthened the capacity of Disease Surveillance and Notification Officers, port health officers, health educators, clinicians and community informants through training on appropriate response procedures.

The commissioner said relevant national guidelines, protocols and resource materials had been adapted and deployed to guide the state’s response, while public sensitisation and infection prevention and control measures in healthcare facilities were being intensified.

She urged residents to remain calm and obtain information from official public health authorities.

Coker explained that Ebola is a serious disease that can cause severe illness and death, noting that its early symptoms may resemble those of other common illnesses.

She listed the symptoms to include fever, severe weakness, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain. Unexplained bleeding or bruising may also occur in some cases.

According to her, symptoms can develop between two and 21 days after exposure. She stressed, however, that experiencing these symptoms does not automatically mean a person has Ebola, although prompt professional assessment is essential, particularly where there has been possible exposure or travel to a high-risk area.

The commissioner explained that Ebola spreads through direct contact with the blood or body fluids of an infected person who has developed symptoms, the body of someone who has died from the disease, or materials contaminated with such fluids.

She advised residents to wash their hands regularly with soap and running water and use alcohol-based hand sanitiser when soap and water are unavailable.

Residents were also cautioned against contact with the blood and body fluids of anyone suspected of having the disease and sharing needles, razors or other items that could be contaminated.

Coker urged anyone who might have been exposed to Ebola to contact public health authorities promptly without waiting for symptoms to develop.

She further advised anyone who develops symptoms after possible exposure to avoid close contact with others and contact public health authorities before visiting a healthcare facility, to enable safe referral to an appropriate medical centre.

The commissioner also called on residents to cooperate with surveillance and follow-up teams, provide accurate information when contacted by public health officials and comply with the guidance issued.