Ebola Alert: Yobe Activates Emergency Response Across 17 LGAs

Yobe State has activated its public health emergency response system and strengthened disease surveillance across all 17 local government areas following Nigeria’s confirmation of an imported Ebola case in Abuja.

The state government said no Ebola case had been recorded in Yobe, but measures were being implemented to detect and respond quickly to any suspected infection.

Permanent Secretary of the Yobe State Ministry of Health and Human Services, Hadiza Sabo, announced the measures on Monday, October 26, during a briefing at the State Emergency Operations Centre in Damaturu.

The response follows the confirmation of Nigeria’s first case of Bundibugyo virus disease on October 20. According to the World Health Organization, the patient was a woman with a recent travel history to Uganda who tested positive after seeking medical attention in Abuja.

By October 26, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) had identified 54 contacts linked to the case. The patient had also been medically evacuated to Switzerland for treatment, according to the agency’s situation report.

Surveillance and isolation facilities strengthened

Sabo said Governor Mai Mala Buni had directed the activation of the state’s Public Health Emergency Incident Management System and the development of a comprehensive emergency preparedness and response plan.

The State Emergency Operations Centre is coordinating activities with health authorities and development partners, including the NCDC, WHO and UNICEF.

Disease surveillance officers across Yobe’s 17 LGAs have been instructed to investigate reports of suspected infections and verify information promptly. The state has also strengthened contact-tracing arrangements to monitor individuals who may have been exposed to the virus.

Designated isolation and treatment facilities across the state’s three senatorial zones have been equipped with medicines and personal protective equipment, while frontline health workers have received additional training in infection prevention, safe sample collection and clinical management.

The measures follow the NCDC’s recommended technical pillars for Ebola preparedness, which include surveillance, laboratory testing, infection prevention and control, case management and public communication.

Residents urged to follow preventive measures

The state government has advised residents to wash their hands regularly with soap and water or use alcohol-based hand sanitiser. Residents should also avoid direct contact with the blood and other bodily fluids of people who may be infected, as well as unsafe burial practices involving contact with deceased persons.

Sabo warned against spreading unverified information and urged residents to rely on updates from the state Ministry of Health and the NCDC.

She also cautioned against stigmatising people identified as contacts, explaining that being monitored by health authorities does not mean a person has contracted Ebola.

According to the NCDC’s latest Ebola response update, contact tracing and monitoring remain central to Nigeria’s efforts to contain the confirmed case and prevent further transmission.

Yobe’s government said its emergency response system would remain active, with surveillance and preparedness measures continuing across the state. Although no infection has been confirmed in Yobe, officials say early detection and coordinated action are essential to protecting residents.