Prof. Chukwu, who appeared elated on the development at the daily media briefing on the Ebola virus said: “One good thing is that there will be a new treatment drug for the Ebola. A Nigerian scientist has offered to invest his resources in the supply of the experimental treatment drug-Nanosilver-for the victims. This drug can only be donated by a Nigerian for now.”
He however, confirmed another case of Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, in Nigeria bringing the total number of infected persons to 11.
The minister said that among the 11 confirmed cases, three were dead-the index case, the nurse who participated in treating the late Liberian, Mr. Patrick Sawyer, who imported the disease into Nigeria and the Nigerian nurse who served as protocol officer of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS.
Chukwu noted that the remaining eight victims are alive and under treatment and dismissed the panic about the spread of Ebola to Enugu State by an escapee nurse.
The Health Minister said for now there is no case of Ebola in Enugu or any other part of the country except in Lagos, adding that the six persons who had secondary contact with the nurse who travelled to Enugu tested negative but are under surveillance.
He said: “For now I want to assure citizens that there is no Ebola case in Enugu. One of the nurses who had primary contact with the index case who came to Nigeria on July 20, 2014 disobeyed the health authorities and travelled down to Enugu to see her husband. The nurse under surveillance was asymptomatic when she travelled to Enugu and six people who had secondary contact with her had been tested and medically proved Ebola negative and they are under surveillance. Meanwhile, the nurse and her husband have returned to Lagos in an ambulance and are under quarantine. For now, no case of Ebola is in Enugu.”
Chukwu said that as at today (yesterday), Nigeria recorded a total of 169 secondary contacts under surveillance in Lagos.
Meanwhile, Abia State Governor, Theodore Orji, has condoled with the family of the first nurse who died from the disease.
He identified her as Justina Echelonu, a member of staff of First Consultant Hospital, Obalende, Lagos State, who died on August 6, 2014.
She was among those who treated the late Sawyer, when he arrived in Nigeria.
Governor Orji said: “My heart bleeds as I write this. On behalf of my family, the government and the good people of Abia State, I commiserate with family, friends and colleagues of our dear lady nurse, Justina Echelonu, who died following the contact she had with the Liberian-American, Mr. Patrick Sawyer, in the course of discharging her duty as a nurse.”
Governor Orji in a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Obed Nnaji, prayed that God would comfort Ms. Echelonu’s family and grant them the fortitude to bear the loss.
Also yesterday, Kwara State Committee on the Control of Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, disclosed that a suspected case of the disease had been reported in the state.
It however allayed fears of an outbreak of the disease in the state, noting that the suspected case was on Wednesday discovered with a seven-month-old baby newly brought into the state.
The Committee’s Chairman, Prof. Sunday Opabola, disclosed this to journalists yesterday. He emphasised that there was no confirmed case of the disease in the state as being speculated.
Opabola, who is also the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Public Health, stressed that the baby with a suspected case was found with some symptoms which were not exclusive to Ebola disease but also had to do with those of Lasa fever, cholera, malaria and some other diseases.
He further explained that the baby had been taken along to Ilorin by his parents who came to the town for a visit from Ibadan after one of those taking care of him had returned to Ibadan from Lagos.
He said that the baby initially came up with symptoms of malaria and was being treated on that for about two days without improvement before his mother was advised to take him to a private pediatric specialist hospital in the Ilorin town.
The governor’s aide also disclosed that the pediatrician medical director of the hospital carried out a clinical assessment on the patient and discovered Ebola-like symptoms such as fever, diarrhea, and vomiting of contents that partly contained blood.
He said this made the doctor to report the baby’s case to the relevant government agency for necessary actions.
The committee chairman disclosed that the government immediate took the baby to the state Specialist Hospital at Sobi area in the town for proper attention with samples already being taken for tests at two centres in Lagos including Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH.
He said the result of the tests are expected to be out today (Friday) while also disclosing that Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed had ordered for test equipment to be install at the state Advanced Diagnosis Centre in Ilorin.
Opabola maintained that government had commenced trace contact which he said it is doing with the use of the standard recommended by the World Health Organisation to ensure the exercise is effective to keep the state safe of possible spread of the disease.
He also disclosed that the government has decided to temporarily close down the private hospital where the baby was taken to.
“Though, it was not yet established that the baby’s case is Ebola the government is taking these proactive measures as part of its commitment to keep people in the state insulated from being infected with the diseases.
“Those treating the baby at the Specialist Hospital use Personal Protective Equipment, PPE, while an ambulance used to take him to the place has been dedicated for such an assignment while it is to be regularly decontaminated.
“Government has also decided to establish isolation and quarantine centres at the Specialist Hospital and the General Hospital at Omu-Aran in south district of the state and at Okuta in north district,” he added.
Source: Nigerian Pilot
