Nigeria has now recorded ten confirmed cases of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD). Out of these, four have died and eight are currently under treatment, BusinessDay findings gathered. The fourth death recorded today was a Nigerian nurse who participated in the initial management of the index case.
This brings the total number of persons under surveillance in Lagos to 169 with those under surveillance all secondary contacts. Also, all primary contacts have completed the 21-day incubation period and have been delisted to resume their normal lives.
Onyebuchi Chukwu, Minister of Health, said that Enugu State now has 6 persons under surveillance as 15 after complete evaluation were found not to have had contact with the nurse, a primary contact of the index case who became symptomatic and tested positive and is one of the 10 confirmed cases.
The minister stated that the nurse who had been placed under surveillance in Lagos disobeyed the Incidence Management Committee and travelled to Enugu.
“At the time she made the trip, she was yet to show any symptom and did not infect anyone on her way as transmission of the disease is only possible when a carrier of the virus becomes ill. However, she has since been brought back to Lagos. Before the return journey, she had become symptomatic and had to be conveyed to Lagos with her spouse in special ambulances.
“The husband is not symptomatic neither is he positive for Ebola Virus Disease but has been quarantined given the intimate contact with her while in Enugu. It is therefore important to emphasise that there is no Ebola Virus Disease in Enugu. All cases are still confined to Lagos State. Also, reports of Ebola Virus Disease in Abia, Imo, Akwa Ibom and Anambra States as well as the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja have all been investigated and none of them was found to be Ebola Virus positive,” the minister revealed in a statement available to BusinessDay.
In the meantime, the minister of health on Monday convened an Emergency National Council on Health (NCH) meeting as Chairman, with the minister of state for health, the 36 commissioners for health and the Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Federal Capital Territory Abuja. The meeting reviewed the state of preparedness of the country to contain the outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease and resolved on actions to be taken.
In furtherance of the national containment efforts, President Goodluck Jonathan convened a meeting of the 36 State Governors and the Minister of the FCTA, Commissioners for Health and the Secretary of Health of the FCTA on Wednesday August 13 2014.
The private sector stakeholders and Foundations are also showing interest in containing the EVD outbreak and here today, there will be a special announcement by the Dangote Foundation.
It is noteworthy to state that laboratories where specimen can be taken for laboratory analysis include NCDC Laboratory at LUTH, Idi-Araba Lagos, NCDC Laboratory at Asokoro, Abuja, Redeemer’s University Laboratory, Lagos-Shagamu Expressway and UCH Laboratory, Ibadan.
Alexander Chiejina
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