The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has disclosed that two suspected cases of Ebola disease have been identified in Nigeria’s North-East region. This development comes just days after the country recorded its first confirmed case of the recent outbreak.

The agency disclosed this in a post on its official X handle on Saturday. It said both individuals had been isolated, while contact identification and listing are ongoing and laboratory testing is underway. The NCDC added that confirmation is subject to laboratory results.

“Two suspected cases of Ebola disease have been identified in Nigeria’s North-East region. Both individuals have been isolated, contact identification and listing are ongoing, and laboratory testing is being conducted.”
The agency was careful to draw a line between a suspected case and a confirmed one, stressing that the classification should not be read as a confirmation of Ebola in either person.

“Being classified as suspected cases does not mean they are confirmed Ebola cases; confirmation is subject to laboratory results.”
In the same update, the NCDC advised members of the public to maintain good hand hygiene, practise enhanced sanitation and follow guidance from public health authorities. It also promised to keep Nigerians informed as the situation develops.
“Further updates will be provided as verified information becomes available.”
The latest update came days after the NCDC said it had identified another contact, an e-hailing driver, linked to the confirmed case of the recent Ebola outbreak in Nigeria. That addition increased the number of primary contacts to 54.

The NCDC Director-General, Dr. Jide Idris, told Channels Television that efforts were ongoing to identify the secondary contacts. He cautioned that the country was not yet free of risk, noting that the removal of the index case from the country did not mean the threat had ended.
“So we are not out of the woods yet until we are sure that we have all the contacts, and they have been followed up.”

With the two suspected cases now isolated and laboratory results pending, attention turns to whether the tests will confirm Ebola in the North-East, and to how far the contact tracing already underway will reach.