No new cases of Ebola in Nigeria, says Health Minister

No new cases of Ebola in Nigeria, says Health Minister

The Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, has debunked the rumours making the rounds that there is a fresh outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the country.
He spoke yesterday at a news conference on the update on the virus.
Chukwu said the information was untrue.
He said besides the cases in Lagos and Port Harcourt, there were no other cases.
According to him, at the moment, only one person, the wife of a Port Harcourt doctor, is on treatment in an isolation ward in Lagos.
The minister went on: “She no longer shows any symptom and is undergoing tests, preparatory to her discharge this week.
Seven people have died from the deadly Ebola Virus Disease, including Mr. Patrick Sawyer, the Liberian-American, who brought the virus into the country.”
He said another patient was discharged on Sunday. The patient, according to him, is the sister of the Port Harcourt doctor, Iyke Enemuo.
His words: “It has been 50 days since the Ebola Virus Disease was brought into the country through Lagos and 38 days since it was brought to Port Harcourt.
“So far, all the cases confirmed in the country are traceable to the index case, the Liberian-American, Mr. Patrick Sawyer.
“As at this morning, the number of confirmed cases of EVD in the country is 19, 15 in Lagos and four in Port Harcourt.
“The 19th case is the fiancé of one of the primary contacts of Mr. Sawyer. The test results were equivocal but further tests established the disease. He had only mild symptoms and had recovered. He was quarantined but because of the equivocal test result, he was not placed on active treatment.
“The total number of deaths from EVD stands at seven. Five of this died in Lagos, one in a private hospital, the index case Mr. Sawyer, and the other four in the isolation ward in Lagos.
Two of the seven died in Port Harcourt, the medical doctor, who died in a private hospital and the contact, a patient in the hospital at the time the doctor was also on admission, who died in the isolation ward in Rivers State.
“The total number of patients, who have been successfully managed and discharged, stands at nine.
“The latest is the sister of the Port Harcourt doctor, who was discharged from the isolation ward yesterday. The nine patients successfully managed and discharged are among the total number of 11 survivors of EVD in the country.
“At the moment, only one person, the wife of the Port Harcourt doctor, is on treatment in the isolation ward in Lagos. She no longer has any symptom and is undergoing tests, preparatory to her discharge from the isolation ward this week.
“Regarding contacts under surveillance, Lagos has 27 contacts surveillance. Three hundred and thirty-nine contacts, who were on surveillance, have been discharged, having completed 21 days of observation.
Port Harcourt has 477 contacts under surveillance. It is a mixed group consisting of tertiary and quaternary contacts of Mr. Sawyer. Five contacts have been discharged from surveillance in Port Harcourt, having completed 21 days of observation.”
The minister said ambulances, motorcycles and medical equipment have been distributed to Port Harcourt, to curb the spread of the Ebola virus.
He said: “In the last one week, a number of EVD rumours have been investigated and the cases have turned out to be Ebola negative. Specifically, the rumours in Kebbi, Kaduna, Lagos, Lagos, Oyo, Ebonyi, Delta and Sokoto states as well as the Federal Capital Territory have been debunked.”
Chukwu took the opportunity to clarify that the United States made a pledge of 30 body scanners in error.
He said: “What the US donated were 30 handheld infra-red thermometers, which have been put to service.”
The Health Minister, who warned against the stigmatisation of patients, assured that the country’s medical team had the expertise to manage the virus.
Said he: “We urge countries and individuals not to profile or stigmatise anyone on account of EVD. We have observed that some countries have selectively quarantined Nigerian travellers without any health or scientific basis. Let me say clearly that while any individual from any country can be a carrier of the EVD and transmit same to others, no Nigerian has introduced EVD to any country. “Nigeria will support the protocols approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO), which does not support the closure of borders, does not restrict travels and does not stigmatise anyone on the basis of the passport one carries.”