There was fear in Ibadan yesterday, when news broke out that the first case of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) has been recorded in Oyo State.
A sick baby, who was taken to Adeoyo State Hospital, Ring Road, Ibadan on Monday, was said to have manifested symptoms of the disease at the hospital. It was gathered that the development caused commotion in the hospital as staff members, patients as well as other visitors reportedly ran for safety.
Some residents of the community, it was gathered were considering relocation from the area, pending the confirmation of the case by the government, while many have vowed not to go near the hospital, to avoid contracting the virus.
But the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, told newsmen in Ibadan that it was too early to conclude that the suspected patient had the virus, adding that blood sample had been collected from the baby for laboratory analysis at the virology laboratory of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan.
His words: “We saw a suspected patient. It will be presumptuous to jump into conclusion until the result of the test is out. It is not likely to be positive, but let’s wait for the result of the blood test.”
Gbadegesin, however, appealed to residents of the state not to panic, saying the government had taken necessary steps to check the disease.
Also, an epidemiologist with the State Ministry of Health, Dr. Abass Gbolahan, corroborated what the commissioner said, stressing that the ministry’s record did not show that a child had been infected. “From our records at the Oyo State Ministry of Health, we are not aware of any child said to have the infection.
“The only one that we are aware of is that which was rumoured at the weekend. He was said to have travelled to Liberia and he visited a private hospital in Ibadan,”  he said.
Gbolahan stated that the ministry investigated the case and discovered that the suspected person has not travelled outside Nigeria in the past four years. However,  he said the ministry did not take anything for chance, as the person had been placed on isolation and his blood sample taken for analysis at UCH. The result of the test, he said, would ascertain the fact.
Meanwhile, the chairman of Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in the state, Dr. Muideen Olatunji, has said the association has constituted a Response Team (RT) for possible outbreak of EVD in the state.  He averred that the ongoing nationwide strike embarked upon by doctors would not prevent members of NMA from helping the state and the country to overcome the Ebola epidemic.

…Ogun puts 3 under surveillance

 From Moshood Adebayo, Abeokuta Ogun State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Olaokun Soyinka yesterday,  said two Guineans and a Nigerian were on Friday arrested and put under surveillance to checkmate the deadly  Ebola Virus Disease (EVD). The  commissioner said the persons were stopped while travelling into Nigeria through Imeko-Afon area of the state, adding that the travellers, who  were entering the country through Guinea, were stopped and questioned by officials of the Port Health Authorities, who later alerted the local authorities and the state government for necessary action.
While reiterating the commitment and readiness of the state government to guard against the outbreak, Soyinka said the three persons willingly submitted themselves for monitoring for 21 days.
His words: “In Ogun, we remain free of the virus, but we are vulnerable, particularly because of our long international border.
“In addition to the training for Health Care Workers, refresher information and further sensitisation is taking place and we are focusing extra resources on the border local government areas.
“Our rapid response teams at the local government area level are in place as our surveillance teams.
“In fact, we have already stopped some travellers detained at an illegal border crossing at Imeko Afon, who were coming from Guinea, they are being monitored.”
He disclosed that the state had established three isolation sites in each of the senatorial districts,  adding that 50 volunteers were being trained on variety of Ebola tasks.

Ebola scare in Ibadan