Yobe Ebola emergency response measures include enhanced surveillance, isolation facilities and contact tracing as officials reassure residents
The Yobe State Government has activated its public health emergency response system and intensified disease surveillance following Nigeria’s confirmation of an imported Ebola case, assuring residents that no infection has been recorded in the state.
The government announced the measures on Monday during a press briefing at the State Emergency Operations Centre in Damaturu, the state capital.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Human Services, Hadiza Sabo, said the response followed the confirmation of Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease in Nigeria by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) on October 20, 2026.
The patient had travelled to Nigeria from Uganda and was initially isolated for treatment.
“The patient is currently in isolation and receiving care, while the NCDC has activated its national Incident Management System,” Sabo said, describing the situation and response measures at the time of the briefing.
She said 53 close contacts, including healthcare workers, patients, caregivers and travel-related contacts, had been identified as of October 24 and were being monitored.
She added that 46 exposed persons had been placed on a 21-day no-fly list as a precautionary measure.
Sabo said the state was strengthening its preparedness in response to the regional outbreak and the risks associated with international travel and cross-border movement.
She said Governor Mai Mala Buni had directed the activation of the Public Health Emergency Incident Management System and the development of a comprehensive emergency preparedness and response plan.
“In line with the national directive and NCDC guidelines, Governor Mai Mala Buni has directed the activation of the Public Health Emergency Incident Management System and the development of a comprehensive Emergency Preparedness and Response plan,” she said.
According to the permanent secretary, Yobe has activated emergency response teams, established isolation facilities and intensified contact tracing as part of efforts to detect and contain any potential spread of the virus.
She said the state’s preparedness activities were organised around six technical pillars recommended by the NCDC.
The State Emergency Operations Centre has been placed on high alert, while coordination meetings have been held to strengthen collaboration with the NCDC, the World Health Organisation and UNICEF.
Surveillance has also been intensified across Yobe’s 17 local government areas. Disease Surveillance and Notification Officers have been directed to investigate and verify reports and alerts promptly.
Sabo said the state had strengthened contact-tracing arrangements to ensure that identified contacts were monitored for 21 days.
She added that designated isolation and treatment facilities across the state’s three senatorial zones had been equipped with medicines and personal protective equipment.
Frontline health workers had also received additional training in infection prevention and control, safe sample collection and the clinical management of suspected cases.
The permanent secretary urged residents to practise good hygiene, including regular handwashing with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand sanitisers.
She advised the public to avoid direct contact with the blood and bodily fluids of sick people and to refrain from traditional burial practices involving direct contact with corpses.
Sabo also warned against spreading unverified information and urged residents to rely on official updates from the state Ministry of Health and the NCDC.
She cautioned against stigmatising people identified as contacts, explaining that being listed as a contact did not mean that an individual had contracted the virus.
“Yobe State has no case of Ebola, but our Incident Management System is fully active and operational to protect the people of the state,” she said.
The state’s preparedness measures come as Nigeria continues to monitor the situation following the imported case.
On October 26, the World Health Organisation’s Regional Director for Africa said Nigeria had no active Ebola cases after the patient and her husband were medically evacuated to Switzerland.
Health authorities, however, continued to monitor other identified contacts and maintain vigilance.
The Bundibugyo virus is a type of Ebola virus that can cause severe illness. Public health authorities have emphasised early detection, contact tracing, infection prevention and cross-border coordination as essential measures for limiting transmission.
