The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has identified two suspected cases of Ebola disease in the North-East, prompting the isolation of the individuals and the commencement of contact tracing.
The agency disclosed this in an update on Saturday, noting that public health response measures had been activated while laboratory tests are conducted to establish whether the suspected cases are positive for the virus.
According to the NCDC, the process of identifying and listing individuals who may have had contact with the suspected cases is ongoing.
The agency urged Nigerians to maintain proper hand hygiene, observe improved sanitation practices and comply with public health guidelines while investigations continue.
It added that further updates would be communicated as verified information becomes available.
The development comes as Nigeria continues surveillance activities following a recent Ebola case involving a patient who was medically evacuated to Switzerland.
On October 28, the World Health Organisation (WHO) disclosed that Nigeria could not yet be declared Ebola-free because 53 people who had contact with the infected patient were still under monitoring.
The WHO Executive Director of Health Emergencies Programme, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, made this known during an interview on Arise Televisionās Morning Show.
He explained that a country must complete a 42-day surveillance period before it can officially be declared free of an Ebola outbreak.
According to Ihekweazu, the 53 identified contacts were expected to undergo 21 days of monitoring, followed by an additional 21-day observation period.
He said the process was necessary to ensure that all possible exposure risks had been properly assessed before Nigeria could be declared Ebola-free.
Ihekweazu also clarified that the patientās medical evacuation to Switzerland was undertaken at the request of the Swiss government and was not due to any inability by Nigerian health authorities to manage the case.
He commended the Nigerian government and relevant health agencies for their response, noting that laboratory confirmation and other necessary medical procedures were carried out promptly.
The WHO official further stated that the organisation had not recommended restrictions on political rallies or other public gatherings, explaining that its guidance was based on technical assessments rather than political considerations.
Meanwhile, Ebola remains a public health concern in parts of Africa, particularly the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where Ihekweazu had previously described the outbreak as serious.
Nigeria recorded an Ebola outbreak in 2014 after Liberian-American Patrick Sawyer arrived in Lagos with the virus.
The outbreak was contained through a coordinated response involving the Federal Government, the then Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Lagos State authorities and health workers.
Among those who played a significant role in the response was the late Dr. Ameyo Stella Adadevoh, whose intervention helped prevent further spread of the disease.