Nigeria has recorded two new Ebola cases, the
Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu, announced
Friday.
Mr. Chukwu, a professor, said the new cases are
spouses of the primary contacts of the index case,
Patrick Sawyer, the Liberian-American who brought
the virus to Nigeria.
He said the new cases are the first secondary
contacts to test positive to the deadly virus that has
killed five people in Nigeria.
He added that the number of deaths so far recorded
remained five while five primary contacts had been
successfully managed and discharged.
Chukwu also said that a total of 213 people are
currently under surveillance in Lagos and Enugu.
He also said that laboratories for the testing of EVD
had been located in six states namely; Lagos, Edo,
Ogun, Enugu, Oyo and the Federal Capital Territory.
He said, “In an effort to increase capacity for
diagnosis, we have now moved a mobile laboratory
with the capability of diagnosing Ebola Virus Disease
in Enugu State. We have six secondary contacts who
are under surveillance there and if any of them
becomes symptomatic, we don’t have to send their
specimen to Lagos, they would be diagnosed in
Enugu.”
He said being infected with the EVD does not mean a
death sentence, but urged Nigerians to remain
disciplined and vigilant, while government continues
its surveillance on all contacts, and quarantine of any
one that had developed the symptoms.
The minister said, “Even if you get infected with the
disease and you are still in the incubation period,
you cannot transfer it to anybody. When you are not
sick, you cannot transfer it to anybody. That is why
we are putting people under surveillance.
“The battle is not over but I think the country has
done well by containing the spread no doubt. The
fact that all the cases so far are limited to the
primary contacts showed the effectiveness of the
containment.”
On how treatment was being administered on
infected persons, the minister said the process starts
with the isolation of patients, fluid replacement to
avoid dehydration either orally or through drip,
blood transfusion and nutrition.
He clarified that those who had been treated and
discharged did not use any of the experimental drugs
because Nigerian government applied for the trial
drug but could not get it from the United States.
Also on Friday, the Minister held a closed-door
meeting with the leadership of the Association of
General and Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria
and the Guild of Medical Directors of Nigeria. The
two bodies control private medical practitioners.
While the AGPMPN was led Dr. Frank Odafe, the
GMDN was led by Dr. Tony Phillips.
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