Nigeria at 'high risk' of Ebola spread from Uganda

Following the outbreak of the disease in Uganda, Nigerian authorities claim that the nation is "at high danger" of importing the Ebola virus.

Uganda and the West African nation do not share a border.

The high degree of risk to the nation, according to the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), is caused by the "heavy air traffic between Nigeria and Uganda and the mixing of passengers, particularly at the regional travel hubs of Nairobi, Addis Ababa, and Kigali airports."

According to the health officials, a number of precautions have been taken to "avoid and reduce the consequences of a potential Ebola outbreak in Nigeria."

These precautions include stepping up passenger screening and surveillance at airports.

In addition, Nigeria has issued a travel warning advising its citizens and residents to "avoid any travel to Uganda for the time being, save for absolutely necessary travel, until public health officials have assessed the outbreak to be managed" in the East African nation.

However, it urges travelers to avoid contact with "obviously ill persons or suspected cases of Ebola" when travel to Uganda is "unavoidable".

According to the NCDC, travellers traveling to or through Uganda are monitored for 21 days after their arrival in Nigeria. Additionally, it states that response teams are prepared to be sent out in the event of an outbreak.

Since the outbreak started in September, Uganda has documented more than 100 cases and 30 fatalities; there have been concerns the virus might spread to other countries.