LAGOS, Nigeria – Nigeria’s Civil Aviation Authority directed aviation agencies and airlines to strengthen health surveillance procedures at all international airports across the country on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, following a fresh outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease in parts of East Africa and Central Africa.
Okay News reports that the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority issued a regulatory circular to domestic and international carriers operating into Nigeria after the World Health Organisation declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
The outbreak involves the Bundibugyo ebola virus species, and the World Health Organisation and regional health agencies noted more than 300 suspected cases and dozens of deaths within the region. Health officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo recently identified a cluster of severe illnesses among healthcare workers in the Bunia Health Zone in the northeastern part of the country.
No confirmed Ebola case linked to the outbreak has been reported in Nigeria. The circular issued by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority said: “There is currently no licensed vaccine specifically approved for the Bundibugyo strain, while treatment remains largely supportive and symptom-based. Symptoms associated with Ebola Virus Disease include sudden fever, severe fatigue, persistent headache, vomiting, abdominal pain and bleeding manifestations such as nosebleeds or vomiting blood.”
The regulatory agency directed pilots to notify Air Traffic Control of any suspected communicable disease case onboard aircraft in accordance with the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations. Flight crew members must complete Aircraft General Declaration forms for suspected cases, and airlines must ensure passenger locator forms are filled and submitted to Port Health Services upon arrival.
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority is collaborating with Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, and Port Health Services to monitor the situation. Airlines are mandated to equip aircraft with first-aid kits, universal precaution kits, and emergency medical kits while reinforcing crew training on the identification and management of communicable diseases.
