Ebola – Again

We thought we had heard the last of that dreaded name, but ‘EBOLA’ is back in the news.

Not in Nigeria. Not yet.

To the informed Nigerian ear, ‘Ebola’ evokes both triumph and tragedy. Nigeria, and Lagos State, averted what could have been a disaster of epic proportions when, through measures such as quarantine, contact tracing and treatment in a well equipped designated centre, they contained the disease quickly after it was ‘imported’ into Nigeria through the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, and ended up in the frenetic, thickly compressed environment of Obalende.

Success came at a cost. Among the casualties was the granddaughter of nationalist hero Herbert Macaulay, Dr Ameyo Adadevoh.

From the 15th of May 2026, the world was alerted to an outbreak of Ebola Disease (EBOD) in the province of Ituri in the Democratic Republic of Congo. By the 8th of June, there were 515 diagnosed cases, and 91 confirmed deaths. The epidemic had also spread to the neighbouring country of Uganda, where 19 cases had been recorded. Because of the traffic across the artificial borders of the countries of East and West Africa, there was fear the epidemic would soon spread across the continent, and beyond it, as it had already done to nearby Uganda, where 19 cases had been recorded.

The affected area in Eastern Congo is known for intense ongoing war between government forces and armed groups, the most prominent of which is the Allied Democratic Forces, an insurgent group of religious extremists allied with the Islamic State (IS).

Ebola Disease (EBOD) is a severe, life-threatening disease. The first outbreaks occurred in 1976, in South Sudan and Congo DRC. The three related viruses associated with large outbreaks are Ebola Virus, which causes Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), Sudan Virus, causing Sudan virus disease (SVD), and Bundibugyo virus, associated with Bundibugyo Virus Disease (BVD). BVD is responsible for the current outbreak. It has a relatively high case fatality rate, with figures of 50% deaths or more being touted.

The Ebola virus is thought to reside in bats, and to cross into human communities through the blood and body fluids of fruit bats, gorillas, chimpanzees and other animals found in the rain forest. Infected people can transmit the disease to others before they themselves show any symptoms of infection. Health workers are particularly vulnerable in the course of their work. An American doctor who caught the infection while working with an Aid organisation in the Congo has just recovered fully and been reintegrated with his family.

There is a variable incubation period of up to three works between infection and the manifestation of symptoms. Those symptoms include fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain. There may be internal or external bleeding. The symptoms may initially be confused with other infectious fevers, such as malaria or typhoid. Confirmation requires the use of specialised equipment. Samples collected for testing are an extremely dangerous source of infection for health workers.

Management of confirmed cases involves ‘optimised supportive care’, with management of pain, nutrition and collateral infections. There is no approved vaccine for infections caused by the Bundibugyo virus.

Ebola evokes a lot of nervousness in healthcare circles in Nigeria. The successful containment exercise carried out in 2014 under the Babatunde Raji Fashola government in Lagos is used as Case Study in some parts of the world. There is even a Hollywood film – ’93 Days’ – starring Danny Glover, about how the people of Lagos faced down the virus. The long and short of the story is that a Liberian diplomat flew into Lagos with a fever and ended up in a hospital in Obalende. Ameyo Adadevoh led the medical team who attended to the sick diplomat. She had never seen an Ebola case in her life. She had only read about it in books. At the Liberian’s bedside, her clinical acumen told her she was seeing one right in front of her. She called for help.

The diplomat was a big shot, and he had come to Nigeria for an important meeting in Abuja. He demanded to be let out to attend his meeting. Ameyo said ‘No’. He put a complaint through to his Ambassador, who tried to pull rank. Still Ameyo said ‘No’, even as the wheels of the State’s emergency response began to turn, and the laboratory confirmed Ameyo’s suspicion that the diplomat’s fever was Ebola.

The medical team in the Obalende hospital saved Lagos, and Nigeria, but they could not save themselves. They had to deal with ‘Patient Zero’ and minister to his needs over several hours before he was evacuated to the isolation facility, with very little of the equipment needed for personal protection.

Nigeria ended up with eight confirmed cases of Ebola, instead of thousands. Out of these, four died, including ‘Patient Zero’, and including Ameyo and some of her staff.

It is understandable why the nation’s Centre for Disease Control, the Nigerian Medical Association and private sector organisations such as the Healthcare Federation of Nigeria are rallying together to optimise ‘Ebola-preparedness’. If the original ‘Patient Zero’ showed up in a private hospital in Obalende in Ebola’s 2014 iteration, the next one could appear in Port Harcourt, or Gwadalada in 2026, God forbid. There would have to be someone like Ameyo, who would be able to activate a response based on their clinical judgement. Hopefully, the workers would have an adequacy of personal protective equipment.

It has been announced that appropriate checks are going on at the entry points to the nation. Hopefully these include land borders, where there is much cultural and trade traffic through the francophone countries.

The Old Students of Queen’s School, Ibadan have built a hall and named it after Ameyo Adadevoh. Nigeria has honoured her with the Order of the Niger – OON. Becoming adept at keeping Ebola out or containing any incursion would be an additional tribute that she would most certainly appreciate. May her soul continue to rest in peace.