By NEWSCOUNT Desk
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has confirmed that two suspected cases of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) identified in Adamawa State have tested negative following two rounds of laboratory investigations.
The development has allayed fears of a possible spread of the deadly disease to the North-East, following the identification and isolation of the two individuals in Yola, the Adamawa State capital.
The NCDC Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday, explaining that the agency received the report through the Adamawa State Public Health Emergency Operations Centre in the early hours of October 30, 2026.
According to him, the alert followed the identification of two individuals presenting symptoms suggestive of Ebola, which required immediate medical attention and further investigation.
Idris maintained that the classification of the individuals as suspected cases did not amount to confirmation of Ebola infection, stressing that laboratory investigations were necessary to establish the actual cause of their illnesses.
He explained that both individuals were immediately isolated, while samples were collected for laboratory analysis and appropriate public health measures initiated in collaboration with the Adamawa State Government.
“Samples were collected for laboratory testing to establish the cause of the illness. Fortunately, the samples turned out negative for EVD after two rounds of testing,” he stated.
The NCDC boss further stressed that there was currently no laboratory-confirmed case of Ebola in Adamawa State, maintaining that the previously confirmed case in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) remained the only confirmed case reported in Nigeria.
He commended the Adamawa State Commissioner for Health and Human Services and his team for their prompt response, assuring that the NCDC would continue to provide the necessary technical support to strengthen the state’s disease surveillance and response operations.
Idris urged Nigerians to remain calm and avoid spreading unverified information capable of generating unnecessary panic, advising the public to obtain updates from official government and public health communication channels.
He also stressed the importance of maintaining proper hand hygiene, observing improved sanitation practices and complying with public health advisories.
The NCDC advised anyone experiencing symptoms such as fever, severe weakness, headache, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhoea or unexplained bleeding, particularly following possible exposure to an infected person, to seek immediate medical attention.
The Adamawa development came barely 11 days after Nigeria confirmed its first Ebola case in the current outbreak. The case, involving a 42-year-old Swiss woman who arrived in Abuja from Uganda via Addis Ababa on October 3, was confirmed by the NCDC on October 20.
The woman was subsequently evacuated to Switzerland alongside her husband on October 26 following arrangements with the relevant authorities.
The agency had earlier disclosed that 62 contacts linked to the confirmed case had been identified, categorised and placed under monitoring as part of efforts to prevent further transmission.
The current outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, with the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and Kenya among the countries affected.
The latest laboratory results from Adamawa have, however, ruled out Ebola infection in the two suspected cases, leaving the FCT index case as Nigeria’s only laboratory-confirmed case at the time of the announcement.
