Renowned virologists have urged the government, healthcare workers and the public to embrace preparedness and strengthen preventive measures following the confirmation of Bundibugyo Ebola virus disease in the country, warning that the current strain has no approved vaccine or specific treatment.
The leading virology professors stressed the need for early detection, prompt isolation of suspected cases, effective contact tracing, strict infection prevention measures and adequate personal protective equipment for healthcare workers to prevent further transmission.
In exclusive interviews with PUNCH Healthwise, the experts urged Nigerians not to dismiss the outbreak for political reasons or panic, advising them to follow public health advice and promptly seek immediate medical attention if they develop a sudden fever, severe headache, sore throat, muscle pain, or diarrhoea, especially after recent contact or travel to an area with Ebola.
The virologists further explained that Ebola transmission involves very close contact with the body fluids and blood of infected or deceased persons, emphasising the need for regular handwashing as part of efforts to reduce infection risks.
The experts called for increased surveillance, public awareness and support for healthcare workers to ensure the virus is not indiscriminately spread.
PUNCH Healthwise reports that Nigeria has confirmed one imported case of Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease in the Federal Capital Territory, becoming the fifth country to detect the virus since the outbreak was declared in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on May 15, 2026.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has activated its incident management system to coordinate the response, while the Federal Government has placed high-risk contacts in designated quarantine facilities and is tracing potential exposures.
The World Health Organisation describes Bundibugyo virus disease as a severe and often fatal form of Ebola disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus.
The WHO stated that the average case fatality rate for Ebola virus disease is 50 per cent, with historical rates ranging from 25 per cent to 90 per cent, depending on the virus strain, patient health, and access to medical care. It, however, noted that the Bundibugyo ebolavirus has an approximately 32.8 per cent fatality rate.
Providing expert insight into control measures, a Professor of Virology and former President of the Nigerian Academy of Science, Oyewale Tomori, called for targeted surveillance and appropriate support for hospitals in areas where cases or potential exposures had been identified, rather than indiscriminate restrictions across the country.
He said preparedness should include protecting frontline health workers, who face particular risks when caring for suspected or confirmed cases.
“The first group of people to be exposed to this are the health workers. So, we need to protect them. Provide them with PPE, and they too should be very cautious, particularly at this time,” Tomori said.
The renowned virologist further said there was no approved treatment or vaccine for the strain under discussion.
Tomori, who is the former Regional Virologist for the WHO Africa Region, said Nigerians should take the outbreak seriously and follow public health advice rather than dismissing the government’s announcement for political reasons.
He urged the public to prioritise safety, stressing that the consequences of ignoring preventive measures could be severe.
“I think the next thing we should tell our people is to believe what the government has said for your own sake and take all the precautions. If you say it’s because of politics and you catch Ebola, you won’t be there to vote. Anybody who dies of Ebola can’t even vote in the election,” he said.
Tomori, a former President of the Nigerian Academy of Science, explained that Ebola transmission typically involves close contact with an infected person, making the identification and monitoring of contacts important to containing an outbreak.
He noted that contact tracing should cover people who had close contact with the confirmed case, including those who might have been exposed during hospital admission.
The disease prevention and control expert, however, urged Nigerians not to panic, saying the outcome of contact tracing would be important in determining the extent of possible transmission.
“No need to panic. The government is doing its best to contain it. Let us keep our fingers crossed until we have results of the contact tracing,” he said.
Also, the Director of the Centre for Human and Zoonotic Virology at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Prof. Sunday Omilabu, explained that although a vaccine had been developed for the Zaire strain of Ebola, which caused the 2014 outbreak, no licensed vaccine was available for the Bundibugyo strain.
He said researchers were working to develop a vaccine for the strain, adding that the available doses of the Zaire vaccine were being administered to health officials attending to patients.
The renowned virologist further said there was no particular treatment for the current strain, stating that patients infected with the Bundibugyo strain were currently being managed based on their symptoms, with treatment provided for complications such as diarrhoea and sore throat.
The don noted that early treatment and appropriate management of symptoms could improve patients’ chances of survival.
“The treatment will follow the symptoms. So, they treat them based on the symptoms. And they have management for different symptoms. If it is diarrhoea, they have management for diarrhoea. Those who develop a sore throat, they have management for that. So, they treat based on symptoms for now,” he said.
Referring to Nigeria’s experience during the 2014 Ebola outbreak, Omilabu said early treatment had helped some patients survive.
On the risk of transmission among people who had contact with an infected person but had not developed symptoms, the virologist said contacts needed to monitor themselves for signs of illness and seek medical attention promptly if they became unwell.
The medical virologist added that health workers would need to establish whom suspected cases had interacted with after symptoms began, as part of efforts to identify further contacts and limit the spread of the infection.
Omilabu further emphasised the importance of laboratory confirmation and prompt medical attention for people who develop symptoms after a possible exposure.
The virologist said suspected cases should be assessed and tested, noting that laboratory evidence was necessary to establish infection.
“The lab must confirm the presence of viral material in their sample before they can pronounce them positive,” Omilabu said.
He advised people who felt unwell and suspected possible exposure to contact a hospital promptly so healthcare professionals could assess their symptoms and exposure history.
The renowned virologist of over 30 years also urged Nigerians to maintain basic hygiene practices, especially regular hand cleaning, as part of efforts to reduce the risk of infection.
“Now that we have a confirmed case, we have to go back to our usual hand washing. After touching money, surfaces, or going outdoors, we need to wash our hands. Wash your hands before you eat or rub your face. The spread is by contact, and it can contaminate surfaces, such as the door, the doorknob, table surfaces, even the sheets that we put a patient on. So, we need to now cultivate that habit of hand washing again. The more we wash, the more we wash off any possible danger. Because we’ve used it once and it’s helped us in Nigeria, ” he said.
The virologist further raised concerns about the shortage of healthcare personnel in the country, stating that the current outbreak would further put a strain on the limited number of medical professionals.
He called for incentives to encourage healthcare workers to take up assignments at treatment and isolation centres.
“They need to encourage the healthcare givers. Just as they did in Lagos State, you know, they give them special allowances to motivate them to come to the centres where they are managing the cases. With this additional allowance, it will attract more people to attend to cases,” Omilabu said.
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