Director General of the Nigeria Center for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), Dr. Jide Idris said the agency has reinforced its strategy to prevent the spread of the MPox and Marburg virus.
Idris stated this on Thursday, October 17, 2025 at a press conference in Abuja.
He revealed that the agency was reinforcing its response capacity to the increasing threat of Mpox, especially in light of regional cross-border transmission.
“We are primarily dealing with the Clade IIB variant, which has been circulating in Nigeria; however, we are also monitoring the situation in Cameroun where both Clade IB & IIB are reported, and heightening our surveillance for the Clade IB, a more severe strain currently circulating in Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, and the DRC, which has the potential for rapid spread through community transmission.
“Turning to Mpox, Nigeria has continued to manage the outbreak with vigilance. As of 13th October, a total of 102 confirmed cases have been recorded across 26 states and the FCT, from 1,339 suspected cases. Encouragingly, there have been no recorded deaths, but we remain cautious”, he said.
The DG noted that the observed steady rise on the number of reported cases in recent weeks could be attributed to enhanced surveillance and improved case detection across the country.
He further revealed that the agency was optimizing laboratory diagnostic capacity by expanding molecular testing facilities in strategic states such as Enugu, Cross River and Bauchi.
In addition, he said, ”we continue to enhance surveillance across the country through active case search. Our ports of entry, including airports, are closely being monitored, and passengers are required to complete health declaration forms”.
On the Marburg virus, the DG said they were closely monitoring the Marburg virus outbreak in Rwanda which recorded 62 confirmed cases with 15 fatalities as of October 15, 2024.
He informed that the virus, which is highly infectious and similar to Ebola viral disease is a potential for localized transmission particularly among populations with high presence of bats and where bats are being used as delicacies, if the virus is imported into Nigeria, due to the volume of travel between the two countries.
He informed that while there was no specific treatment or vaccine for Marburg, the NCDC was prepared to respond.
“Working with our stakeholders across ministries departments and agencies of government, we have activated health declaration forms for incoming passengers especially from affected regions and are ready to isolate suspected cases immediately upon detection.
“We urge all Nigerians to remain vigilant, particularly those traveling to regions with reported Marburg cases. Avoid contact with wild animals, especially fruit bats, and seek medical attention immediately if symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, or unexplained bleeding occur.
“The preventive measures adopted during Ebola outbreak in Nigeria, such as regular proper handwashing with soap and water under running water or use of alcohol based hand sanitisers is applicable for the prevention of Marburg viral disease”, Dr. Idris counseled.
