The Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu,
on Monday said one of the doctors that treated the Liberian-born American,
Patrick Sawyer, who died of the Ebola disease, had contracted the
virus.
Chukwu made this known in Abuja as Reuters
news agency quoted the Geneva-based World Health Organisation as saying in a statement
that Nigeria had four cases, of which three were classed as ‘probable’ Ebola
and one as ‘suspected.’
The death toll from the Ebola outbreak, according
to WHO, rose from 729 to 887 by August 1. The total
number of cases in the four West African countries affected is now 1,603.
Sawyer, who arrived at the Murtala Mohammed
Airport, Lagos on July 20, died at an Obalende hospital five days
after.
Chukwu said, ‘‘This is now the second case of
Ebola virus disease in Nigeria. This victim is one of the doctors who attended
to the patient who brought Ebola virus to Nigeria.’’
He also told journalists in Abuja that ‘‘about
eight other persons who came into contact with Sawyer, and who had developed
the Ebola symptoms, had been quarantined while 70 others were under
surveillance.’’
The minister said, “All those who came into
contact with the late Sawyer depending on the level of contact are still being
traced and being invited every day and they are placed under surveillance just
to ensure that the spread of disease is curtailed.”
He added that the Federal Government was
currently reinforcing the technical working group on Ebola to include 35 state
governments. Lagos State already has a TWG.
The minister allayed the fears being expressed
by the public about the corpses that were brought into Anambra and
Imo states from some countries which already had records of the deadly disease.
He said, “Medical records have proved that the
corpse taken to Imo State was not carrying Ebola while test is being carried
out on the one taken to Anambra State.
‘‘We are collaborating with all the state
governments to establish isolation wards for persons proven symptomatic to
Ebola and a 24- hour emergency operation centre.”
The minister also on Monday inaugurated an Ebola
Treatment and Research Group with a mandate to carry out an extensive research
into the Ebola virus.
Chukwu said the group would receive and verify
claims on Ebola cure; collate and analyse researches on the virus and advise
the government as may be appropriate.
The group, according to the minister, has the
Director – General of the Nigerian Institute of Pharmaceutical Research and
Development and the Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of Medical
Research as chairmen.
He added that the Nigerian researcher, who had
found evidence of Bitter Kola inhibiting the growth of Ebola virus, Prof.
Maurice Iwu ,and the Director-General of the Nigerian Centre for Disease
Control are also members of the group. Iwu was also a former chairman of the
Independent National Electoral Commission.
Chukwu said, “Although 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.”
He assured the public that the Federal Government
was doing everything to stop the outbreak of the disease but
enjoined everybody to embrace good hygiene by constantly washing their hands.
Also on Monday, the President of the Medical and
Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria, Dr. Steven
Oluwole, said that only one authentic case of Ebola had
been documented in Nigeria.
He added that “the risk to all
contacts of the case are theoretically unlikely to be uniform.”
Oluwole stressed the need for tracing, screening,
follow-up on all contacts and effective control at
Nigerian borders as means of checking the spread of the virus.
He described the virus as “a
filovirus, which is transmitted to humans from contact with infected wild
animals, or consumption of their raw or undercooked meat.”
The scientist listed the susceptible
animals as fruit bats, monkeys, chimpanzees and antelopes.
He noted that human to human transmission
primarily occurs through contact with body fluids of infected persons, adding
that skin and mucous membranes are the main routes of entry.
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