How Ebola can spread across borders and what Nigerians should know to stay safe

• The NCDC says Nigeria is at high risk of Ebola importation because of ongoing outbreaks in the DRC and Uganda and increased international travel.

• Ebola can spread across borders through infected travellers, busy transport routes, and delayed detection since symptoms can resemble malaria or Lassa fever.

• Nigerian health authorities have activated emergency response systems, strengthened surveillance, and urged the public to follow health guidelines and avoid misinformation.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has warned that Nigeria faces a high risk of Ebola importation as fresh outbreaks continue in parts of East and Central Africa, especially in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.

Although there is currently no confirmed Ebola case in Nigeria, health authorities say increased international travel, cross-border movement, and regional transmission have raised concerns about the virus finding its way into the country.

In a statement released on Sunday, NCDC Director-General, Jide Idris, said the agency’s latest assessment classified the threat level as high.

“This assessment estimated the risk of Ebola importation into Nigeria as high due to the ongoing transmission in the DRC and Uganda, international travel and population movement, uncertainty regarding the full magnitude of the outbreak, and the potential for delayed recognition because symptoms may overlap with endemic diseases such as malaria and Lassa fever,” the statement read.

Ebola is a severe viral disease that spreads through direct contact with the blood, body fluids, or contaminated materials of an infected person or animal. It does not spread through the air like COVID-19, but it can move quickly across borders through human travel and physical contact.

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Health experts say diseases like Ebola often travel internationally through:

• Infected travellers crossing borders before symptoms become severe

• Busy airports and transport routes

• Movement between neighbouring countries for trade or family visits

• Weak border health screening systems

• Delayed diagnosis because symptoms resemble malaria, typhoid, or Lassa fever

The recent imported case reported in Uganda, linked to the outbreak in the DRC, has increased fears of wider regional spread.

“However, we are aware of the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and recent reports of a confirmed imported case in Uganda linked to the outbreak in DRC,” the agency stated.

According to the NCDC, some Nigerian states are already considered vulnerable because they are close to land borders, international entry points, and major transport corridors.

The agency did not list the states in the statement, but border states and commercial hubs are usually considered higher risk during disease outbreaks because of heavy movement of people and goods.

Nigeria previously recorded an Ebola outbreak in 2014 after an infected traveller arrived in Lagos from Liberia. The country was later praised globally for successfully containing the virus through aggressive contact tracing and emergency response measures.

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As part of efforts to prevent another outbreak, the NCDC said the national Emergency Operations Centre has been placed on alert mode while the country’s incident management system has been activated.

The agency said Nigeria still has important structures and trained personnel from previous Ebola responses.

“It also must be noted that Nigeria maintains important response capacities, including laboratory capability, trained rapid response teams, functional emergency operations centres (EOCs), established Viral haemorrhagic fever preparedness structures, and prior experience in successfully responding to Ebola and other viral haemorrhagic fever outbreaks,” the statement added.

“Epidemiologists and rapid response teams (RRTs) are also on alert for rapid deployment to any affected state, if required.”

The NCDC also said laboratories around international entry points have been placed on standby, while sample transportation and testing systems are being strengthened for faster detection of suspected cases.

Health authorities advised Nigerians not to panic but to remain cautious and practice preventive measures. Experts say the best protection against Ebola includes:

• Avoiding direct contact with blood or body fluids of sick people

• Washing hands regularly with soap and clean water

• Avoiding contact with dead animals or bush meat from affected regions

• Reporting suspected symptoms quickly to health authorities

• Following verified health information instead of rumours online

Common Ebola symptoms include fever, weakness, muscle pain, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhoea, and in severe cases, bleeding.

The NCDC said it is also intensifying public awareness campaigns to stop misinformation and false claims about the disease.

“NCDC is strengthening public awareness and risk communication activities, intensifying social listening and rumour management systems, and working with media organizations, healthcare professionals, community leaders, and digital platforms to amplify credible information and promote responsible public discourse,” the statement said.

“NCDC has also developed and disseminated Ebola Myths and Facts materials to address misinformation and false claims circulating online.”