The Federal Government has ramped up health screening and monitoring efforts at all entry points across the country in response to the ongoing Ebola Virus Disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
This was disclosed by Dr. Akpan Nse, Director of Port Health Services at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, in an exclusive interview on Friday.
According to Dr. Nse, additional personnel have been deployed to bolster border surveillance as part of proactive measures to prevent the importation of the virus into Nigeria.
Health officials in the DRC recently confirmed an Ebola outbreak in Kasai Province, reporting 28 suspected cases and 16 deaths as of September 5, 2025, including four health workers. The outbreak occurs amid multiple health and humanitarian emergencies affecting Central and West Africa, including cholera, malnutrition, and population displacement.
The latest outbreak marks the first in Kasai since previous incidents in 2007 and 2008. The DRC has now recorded 15 Ebola outbreaks since the virus was first identified in the country in 1976. The most recent outbreak before this one occurred in Equateur Province in April 2022 and was contained within three months.
Ebola Virus Disease is a rare but often deadly illness in humans. It is typically transmitted to humans through close contact with the blood, organs, or bodily fluids of infected animals—particularly fruit bats, which are considered the natural reservoir of the virus. Human-to-human transmission occurs through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected individuals or contaminated materials.
Laboratory analysis conducted on September 3 at the National Institute of Biomedical Research in Kinshasa confirmed that the current outbreak involves the Ebola Zaire strain, one of the most lethal types of the virus.
Dr. Nse stressed that Nigeria remains at risk due to the volume of travel between the two countries, but assured that Port Health Services is on high alert and has implemented enhanced surveillance to detect and respond swiftly to any suspected cases.
