The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has put airlines and airport authorities on high alert over the latest outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease in some parts of East and Central Africa.
The aviation regulatory agency, therefore, has urged operators – aviation agencies and airlines – to immediately tighten health monitoring processes at all international airports around the country, The Guardian reported.
The move came after the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
The NCAA said the decision became necessary following increasing worries about probable cross border transmission of the disease through international air travel in a circular to domestic and foreign carriers operating into Nigeria.
The outbreak is connected to the unusual Bundibugyo ebolavirus species, defined by health authorities as a very severe strain for which there are presently no widely licensed vaccines or particular therapies.
The WHO and regional health organizations had raised alarms after reports of over 300 suspected cases and dozens of deaths in the East and Central African region.
No confirmed case of Ebola related to the outbreak has been recorded in Nigeria but the NCAA said it was already collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Health, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Port Health Services and other international health organizations to strengthen surveillance and preventive measures.
Health officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have reported a cluster of serious diseases among healthcare workers in the Bunia Health Zone in the northeastern region of the nation, according to the NCAA.
The circular said in part: “Currently, there is no licensed vaccine specifically approved for the Bundibugyo strain, while treatment remains largely supportive and symptom-based.
“Ebola Virus Disease symptoms include abrupt onset of fever, severe fatigue, persistent headache, vomiting, abdominal pain and bleeding manifestations such as nosebleeds or vomiting blood.”
The agency said the aviation sector was crucial to prevent the international spread of communicable diseases, and emphasized the importance of early detection and rapid reporting to contain the outbreak.
In an emergency move, the NCAA told all airlines to step up illness surveillance on board and strictly adhere to international public health norms.
Pilots were also trained to report any suspected case of communicable disease on board aircraft to the Air Traffic Control (ATC) immediately in accordance with the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (NCARs).
Flight crew members were also asked to fill in Aircraft General Declaration forms for suspected cases, and airlines have to guarantee that passenger locator forms are duly completed and sent to Port Health Services on arrival.
The NCAA also told airlines to make sure planes have proper supplies of first-aid kits, universal precaution kits and emergency medical kits.
It also called on operators to enhance crew training in the identification and management of communicable diseases and strict compliance with infection prevention and control measures.
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