The Kwara State Government has said that the seven-month-old baby who
was isolated in the state on the suspicion that the boy had Ebola has
tested negative to the virus.
He stated that with this development, the state is currently free from
the deadly Ebola virus disease.
He was said to have manifested symptoms similar to Ebola disease,
lassa fever and malaria.
The Special Assistant to the Kwara State Governor on Information, Deji
Oni, in a statement on Sunday stated that the state government had
received the result of the suspect's test from the Lagos University
Teaching Hospital which showed that the boy tested negative to the
Ebola virus.
Oni who is a member, Kwara State Committee on the Prevention and
Control of Ebola Virus, stated that with the development, the state
remains Ebola free.
He said, "It would be recalled that the rumor mill was agog some days
ago about a reported case of Ebola infection in the state.
"As a responsible and responsive government, we swung into action by
closing down the hospital where the suspected case was reported and
immediately isolated the patient at the Sobi Specialist Hospital,
Ilorin where necessary medication was administered on the child and
the blood sample taken to Lagos to ascertain what the real cause of
his sickness.
"The test result from LUTH has subsequently proven negative.
Effectively, Kwara has no confirmed case of Ebola at the moment.
However, the public is urged to remain vigilant and report any
suspected case to the nearest hospital while continuing to take
precautions against infection."
Oni noted that shortly after the country recorded the first case, the
state government inaugurated a 14-man Committee on the prevention and
control of the virus.
He added that the governor also ordered the immediate procurement of
laboratory equipment and reagents which are already stationed at the
Harmony Advanced Medical Diagnostic Centre, Ilorin.
He said, "The state had also set up three Isolation Centres, one each
in the three senatorial districts - Sobi Specialist Hospital, Ilorin,
General Hospital, Omuaran and General Hospital, Okuta. A special
training was also organised for health care givers on how to handle
Ebola patients.
"Presently two ambulances had been dedicated to handle any suspected
case of the virus."
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