Two suspected Ebola cases in Adamawa test negative – NCDC

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has confirmed that two suspected Ebola cases reported in Yola, Adamawa State, tested negative after two rounds of laboratory testing.

The agency disclosed this in a statement posted on its official X account on Saturday night, following concerns over the possible spread of the virus to the North-East.

The NCDC said it was working with the Adamawa State Government to investigate the suspected cases, adding that both individuals had been isolated and tested.

According to the agency, “samples turned out NEGATIVE for Ebola virus after two rounds of testing.”

It added that the index case previously confirmed in the Federal Capital Territory remained the only confirmed Ebola infection reported in Nigeria.

“The index case previously confirmed in the FCT remains the only confirmed case reported in Nigeria to date,” the agency stated.

The latest development came hours after the NCDC announced that two suspected Ebola cases had been reported in the North-East, prompting investigations and laboratory tests.

Nigeria confirmed its first case of the current Ebola outbreak on October 20, involving a woman who arrived in Abuja from Uganda and subsequently tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain of the virus.

The woman was airlifted to Switzerland on Monday, October 26,, alongside her husband, who was asymptomatic at the time. The evacuation was confirmed by Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate. 

Nigeria has a history of Ebola outbreaks, having recorded 20 confirmed and probable cases, including eight deaths, during the 2014 outbreak. The country was declared free of Ebola transmission by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in October 2014 after successfully containing the outbreak.

Meanwhile, the NCDC has urged Nigerians to remain calm and obtain information from official government and public health channels.