Ebola: 11 patients cured – Health Minister

Fifty days since the Ebola Virus Disease, EVD was imported into Nigeria through Lagos, and 38 days since it was introduced into Port Harcourt, the federal government yesterday announced that it had successfully treated 11 patients infected with the virus.

Giving an update on the virus yesterday in Abuja, the Minister of Health, Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu, told journalists that all the cases that have been confirmed in Nigeria are traceable to the index case, the Liberian-American Mr. Patrick Sawyer.

He said, “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 in Rivers State yesterday.”

According to the minister, the nine patients successfully managed and discharged are among the total number of 11 survivors of EVD in Nigeria.

He said 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 symptoms and is undergoing series of tests preparatory to her discharge from the isolation ward this week.”

Also, the minister said that the fiancé of one of Patrick Sawyer’s contacts who was confirmed positive for EVD with only mild symptoms has since recovered from the illness.

“He was weakened after the death of his fiancée but tests on the deceased were ‘unequivocal’ which revealed she died from Ebola. He was quarantined but was not placed on active treatment,” the health minister said.

Chukwu also disclosed that as at yesterday morning, the total number of confirmed cases of EVD in Nigeria is 19; 15 in Lagos and four in Port Harcourt, saying that the 19th case is the fiancé of one of the primary contacts of Mr. Sawyer who died of the disease.

Similarly, he said the total number of deaths from EVD in Nigeria stands at seven; five of this number died in Lagos, one in a private hospital, the index case Mr. Sawyer, and the other four in the isolation ward in Lagos State.

He explained, “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.”

Regarding contacts currently under surveillance, the minister said that Lagos had 27 contacts on surveillance as of now.

“A total of 339 contacts who were previously 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’s. Five contacts have already been discharged from surveillance in Port Harcourt having completed 21 days of observation.” The minister also addressed the rumoured EVD outbreak in some parts of the country, saying, “In the last one week, a number of EVD rumours have been investigated and all 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 all been debunked,” he said.

As   FG Tightens Surveillance

The Federal Ministry of Health has commenced distribution of ambulances, utility vehicles and motorcycles to the Port Health Services at the international airports, seaports and land crossings in order to check entry and exit of persons in the country.

He also used the opportunity to clarify that the United States made the pledge of 30 body scanners in error. What eventually the US donated were 30 handheld infra-red thermometers which have been put to service.

Ebola Is a ‘National Security Priority – Obama

President Barack Obama has signaled for the first time that he is likely to dispatch U.S. military resources to help fight the serious outbreak of Ebola in several countries in West Africa.

“We have to make this a national security priority. We have to mobilize the international community, get resources in there,” the President said to Chuck Todd on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

Late Enemuo’s sister discharged from Rivers treatment centre

The Rivers State government has discharged Chinyere Enemuo, younger sister to late Dr. Ikechukwu Samuel Enemuo, from its treatment centre at Oduoha community in Emohua local government area of the state, following her full recovery from the Edola Virus Disease (EVD).

Chinyere tested positive to the virus few days after the death of her brother, who was infected with Ebola after treating a diplomat and staff of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Ibikunle Koye, and was sent to the quarantine centre in the state for treatment.

The state commissioner for Health, Dr. Sampson Parker, who spoke in Port Harcourt yesterday while briefing newsmen said, an 18-month old child has been admitted at the quarantine centre, after showing symptoms of the dreaded virus, even though, he is yet to be tested.

Parker said, “Right now, we have another admission, a child of 18 months. He was just admitted and not yet tested; so when we test, I will let you know what is going on,”, adding that while late Enemuo’s wife is stable at the Lagos treatment centre, their three-month child is still safe.

The commissioner stated that late Enemuo’s sister should be celebrated for surviving the deadly virus she contacted while attending to his sick brother.

Hajj 2014: No Ban On Nigerian Pilgrims Over Ebola – Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabian authorities has reassured Nigerians its readiness to welcoming the pilgrims to the holy land as Ebola virus hit two states in the country, suggesting that outbreak in Nigeria was smaller and less worrying.

Speaking with the Arab News Daily, deputy health minister for planning and development, Mohammed Al-Khaseem, said there was no need to worry about Nigerians coming on pilgrimage.

“We have not stopped issuing Hajj visas to Nigerians and we know that about 70,000 pilgrims come from the African country every year,” he said.

Referring to holy Hajj sites in Saudi Arabia, Al-Khasheem said “the WHO knows the situation in Mina and Arafat during the Hajj season and there is no need to worry about a few Ebola cases that have occurred in Nigeria.”

“We have taken precautionary measures to prevent an Ebola outbreak in the Kingdom during the hajj season, we have made early preparations for the annual pilgrimage,” he assured.

He said, “I am cheerful today because we have successfully treated and discharged an Ebola patient from our treatment centre. She was positive and she has now been treated successfully; she is now negative and discharged from our treatment centre.

“Chinyere Enemuo is well as is being discharged. Let me say that in fact, we should actually celebrate her because; she conscientiously, nursed her brother, help him, and then, had this. We thank God that today, she is well and being discharged home free.”

Parker stated that the state government may shift the resumption date of public and private primary and secondary schools in the state from September 22, 2014, as announced by the Federal Government, due to the situation created by EVD in the state.

He said, “Well, the federal government has announced its own date and we are in the middle of the battle. So, the Rivers State government will review our situation as it is. Even the federal government has said they will have another meeting to see how it goes. We are at the peak of our battle; so, we cannot quickly rush and say, we will go with the federal government’s own. We will sit down and review our situation and come out with our own date. It may be the same date with the federal government, it may be later.”

While announcing that the number of contacts has increased to 479, with about 94% of them being followed up, the commissioner for Health said if the number of contacts does not increase by the end of the week, then, the spread of the virus would have been contained by the end of next week.

Parker said, “We all need to be on bended knees this week, next week; then, we will be coasting home. As I told you, it is a 21-day disease and most of them would be rounding up this week. So, if we are not flooded this week, then, we will be coasting home. All hands will be on deck to make sure that we are prepared for any eventuality.”

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