The Kano State Centre for Disease Control (KNCDC) has urged residents and healthcare workers to remain vigilant following reports of an imported case of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Abuja.
The centre, in a statement signed by its Director-General, Professor Muhammad Adamu Abubakar, said it had received information about the reported case, noting that the index patient was initially treated at a private health facility before being isolated.
According to the statement, 44 contacts linked to the case were being monitored by the relevant authorities.
The KNCDC called on healthcare professionals to maintain a high level of suspicion when attending to patients presenting with symptoms associated with Ebola, including sudden fever, severe weakness, headache, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, sore throat and unexplained bleeding.
It stressed that the early identification of suspected cases and prompt reporting to the appropriate health authorities were essential to preventing possible transmission.
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The centre also urged healthcare facilities to strictly observe infection prevention and control protocols, including proper hand hygiene, the appropriate use of personal protective equipment, environmental sanitation, safe waste disposal and safe injection practices.
Explaining how the disease spreads, the KNCDC said Ebola infection could occur through direct contact with the blood or other bodily fluids of an infected person or animal, particularly when these fluids enter the body through the eyes, nose, mouth or broken skin.
The centre noted that symptoms could develop between two and 21 days after infection.
Among the major warning signs identified were sudden high fever, extreme weakness, severe headache, vomiting, diarrhoea and unexplained bleeding.
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The KNCDC advised residents to maintain good personal hygiene and avoid direct contact with the blood and bodily fluids of anyone suspected of having the disease.
It further urged medical personnel to use appropriate protective equipment and follow established infection prevention procedures when managing suspected cases.
The advisory comes amid concerns over the reported Ebola case in Abuja, with the Kano centre emphasising the importance of vigilance, effective surveillance and timely reporting to minimise potential public health risks.
Residents were encouraged to rely on official health advisories and promptly report suspected cases to the relevant authorities rather than spread unverified information.