A female doctor (names withheld) who attended to the late Liberian,
Patrick Sawyer, the man who brought Ebola to Nigeria, has contracted
the virus. This is coming barely two weeks after the Liberian’s death in
a Lagos hospital.According to Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi
Chukwu, who confirmed the development in Abuja yesterday, three other
people under quarantine have developed symptoms of the virus, “but it is
not certain yet, if they have the disease.
The minister said out of the 70 persons established to have had
contacts with the late Liberian, eight were now being quarantined.
Chukwu also revealed that the Federal Government had constituted Ebola
Treatment and Research Group to find the cure for the disease. A member
of the team, a professor of pharmacognosy and former chairman of the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Maurice Iwu. But
the minister could not confirm reports that a corpse brought into
Anambra State from Liberia had the deadly virus.
“Samples have been taken from the corpse and the result would be available today,” he said. Chukwu, who reiterated that efforts were being made to identify more secondary contacts, stressed that no outbreak had been recorded yet outside Lagos. He appealed to Nigerians to report any incident of the disease to the ministry for immediate action while debunking the claim that chewing bitter kola could prevent contracting the disease.
“We are collaborating with all the state governments to establish isolation wards for persons with proven symptoms to Ebola and a 24- hour emergency operation centre,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has mandated the Ebola Treatment and Research Group to study and analyse the deadly disease, receive and verify claims towards curing it, collate and analyse researches on the virus while advising government as deemed appropriate. The group has the Director-General, Nigerian Institute of Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Prof Karniyus Gamaniel and his Nigerian Institute of Medical Research counterpart, Prof Innocent Ujah, as chairmen. The group also has Iwu as member.
Chukwu said, ‘though the research on bitter kola was not concluded, no progress can be made without research. For now, there is no scientifically proven vaccine or drug for the treatment of Ebola.’
The Lagos State Government had on Friday said two people out of those who had contacts with the late Sawyer, recently showed symptoms of fever. Dr. Jide Idris, Commissioner for Health, disclosed this in Ikeja while addressing newsmen on the update on Ebola.
He said the two people were among the 70 contacts being monitored and investigated for any symptoms of the disease by the state government and other partners.
The commissioner, who said the two cases were under observation, however, stressed that their Ebola status were yet to be confirmed. Idris said the state government will continue to monitor all contacts with the victims until the end of the 21 incubation days period of the virus.
“Our Rapid Response Team is currently tracking all contacts of persons exposed to the dead passenger with Ebola virus. The Contract Tracing Team is following 70 contacts of the Ebola Virus Disease case and liking them to clinical support when needed. Two suspected cases had fever, they are under observation. The monitoring of suspected cases will continue until the end of the 21 days from their exposure to the victim,” he said.
The commissioner said an emergency operation centre had been activated in Lagos, by the state government and its partners as part of efforts to check the spread of the virus.
He noted that the Federal Government had stepped up measures to screen incoming passengers to Nigeria to identify any traveller with symptoms through airport, seaport and border crossings.
The commissioner urged residents to collaborate with the government in checking the Ebola spread by reporting suspected cases for government’s intervention. While saying diseases thrived well in dirty areas, Idris urged residents to maintain clean environment to reduce the risk of the virus.
Also speaking, Prof. Abdulsalami Nasidi of the National Disease Control Centre, noted that though the disease had no cure, it was treatable. He warned the public against emphasising that the virus had no cure, saying it might discourage those with suspected cases from accessing treatment
“Samples have been taken from the corpse and the result would be available today,” he said. Chukwu, who reiterated that efforts were being made to identify more secondary contacts, stressed that no outbreak had been recorded yet outside Lagos. He appealed to Nigerians to report any incident of the disease to the ministry for immediate action while debunking the claim that chewing bitter kola could prevent contracting the disease.
“We are collaborating with all the state governments to establish isolation wards for persons with proven symptoms to Ebola and a 24- hour emergency operation centre,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has mandated the Ebola Treatment and Research Group to study and analyse the deadly disease, receive and verify claims towards curing it, collate and analyse researches on the virus while advising government as deemed appropriate. The group has the Director-General, Nigerian Institute of Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Prof Karniyus Gamaniel and his Nigerian Institute of Medical Research counterpart, Prof Innocent Ujah, as chairmen. The group also has Iwu as member.
Chukwu said, ‘though the research on bitter kola was not concluded, no progress can be made without research. For now, there is no scientifically proven vaccine or drug for the treatment of Ebola.’
The Lagos State Government had on Friday said two people out of those who had contacts with the late Sawyer, recently showed symptoms of fever. Dr. Jide Idris, Commissioner for Health, disclosed this in Ikeja while addressing newsmen on the update on Ebola.
He said the two people were among the 70 contacts being monitored and investigated for any symptoms of the disease by the state government and other partners.
The commissioner, who said the two cases were under observation, however, stressed that their Ebola status were yet to be confirmed. Idris said the state government will continue to monitor all contacts with the victims until the end of the 21 incubation days period of the virus.
“Our Rapid Response Team is currently tracking all contacts of persons exposed to the dead passenger with Ebola virus. The Contract Tracing Team is following 70 contacts of the Ebola Virus Disease case and liking them to clinical support when needed. Two suspected cases had fever, they are under observation. The monitoring of suspected cases will continue until the end of the 21 days from their exposure to the victim,” he said.
The commissioner said an emergency operation centre had been activated in Lagos, by the state government and its partners as part of efforts to check the spread of the virus.
He noted that the Federal Government had stepped up measures to screen incoming passengers to Nigeria to identify any traveller with symptoms through airport, seaport and border crossings.
The commissioner urged residents to collaborate with the government in checking the Ebola spread by reporting suspected cases for government’s intervention. While saying diseases thrived well in dirty areas, Idris urged residents to maintain clean environment to reduce the risk of the virus.
Also speaking, Prof. Abdulsalami Nasidi of the National Disease Control Centre, noted that though the disease had no cure, it was treatable. He warned the public against emphasising that the virus had no cure, saying it might discourage those with suspected cases from accessing treatment
 |
Lagos doctor tests positive to Ebola virus |
No comments:
Post a Comment