The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has identified 53 people who had contact with Nigeria’s confirmed Ebola patient in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, as health authorities intensify surveillance for possible infections.
The NCDC Director-General, Jide Idris, disclosed this on Sunday during a media briefing in Abuja, saying the contacts included healthcare workers, the patient’s husband, domestic staff and others who had contact with her.
Idris said 44 of the 53 contacts were linked to the health facility where the patient received treatment, while the remaining nine comprised three household members, her driver, chef and husband, three people who attended to her at Julius Berger Clinic before she was transferred to another facility, and three members of the team that collected her samples. 
He said the contacts had been identified and categorised according to their levels of exposure, with public health teams monitoring them for signs of illness.
“None of the contacts has tested positive or developed symptoms,” Idris said.
The NCDC chief also disclosed that the agency had investigated two suspected Ebola cases, including the confirmed case in Abuja and another suspected case in Rivers State, which tested negative.
Nigeria confirmed its first case of Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease on October 20 after a woman who had travelled to the country was diagnosed at a private hospital in Abuja.
According to the NCDC, the patient tested positive in three samples, while a sample collected from her husband returned negative.
The agency has continued to strengthen contact tracing, surveillance and other public health measures to prevent further transmission of the virus.
