Nigeria Places 46 Individuals on No-Fly List Amid Ebola Case

The federal government of Nigeria has instructed the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to place 46 individuals exposed to the confirmed Ebola case on a 21-day no-fly list. This directive was issued by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, after a virtual meeting with the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate.

The decision aims to prevent further transmission of the disease following the confirmation of Nigeria's first Ebola case since 2014, with the patient testing positive for the Bundibugyo strain on October 20. The female patient had traveled from Uganda to Nigeria and developed symptoms on October 7.

She sought treatment at a private health facility in Abuja on October 11. The Director of Public Health Laboratory Services at the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Olajumoke Babatunde, confirmed the strain during an emergency meeting.

The no-fly directive is part of broader efforts to contain the outbreak and emphasizes the aviation sector's role in public health measures.