Plateau residents keep off chicken, suya spots

Reports of the outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in Dengi, in Kanam
Local Government Area of Plateau State, has sent shivers down the
spine of residents of the state.

Our correspondent gathered that one person was said to be down with
fever, symptomatic of the disease, and triggered fear among the
residents.

As a result of the scare, most residents now keep off fun spots,
especially where chicken, fish and meat are roasted. This has led to
poor sales by those who engaged in such businesses.

At West of Mines junction, a popular spot for roasted fish and meat
delicacies, one of the proprietors who simply identified herself as
Rose, told our correspondent that sales had been dwindling since the
news of the outbreak of the disease. The story is the same at the
popular bush meat market at old Bukuru Park.

The Plateau State Chief Epidemiologist, Dr. Raymond Juryit, however,
dispelled rumours of the outbreak of the disease in Plateau.

According to him, the case in Dengi has been investigated, adding that
it had no relationship with Ebola disease.

He said, "Immediately, we got the rumour, we sent a team of
investigators there and what they reported had nothing to do with
Ebola disease."

Juryit advised the residents not to panic, but to observe the highest
degree of personal hygiene.

He said that the government was training 37 surveillance officers from
the 17 Local Government Areas in the state on ways of detecting the
dreaded Ebola virus.

Juryit said that the trainees were expected to train others in their
respective local government areas, adding that arrangements had also
been concluded to train clinical officers in its major hospitals on
ways to curtail the virus.

The chief epidemiologist, however, expressed regret that the state was
constrained by the ongoing strike action by medical doctors, adding
that lack of testing equipments and personal protective equipment were
the major challenges facing the state.

Also, the Federal Capital Territory Administration has called on the
residents of the territory to be vigilant in the face of the Ebola
hemorrhagic fever threat and to report any suspicious case to a health
facility nearest to them. The disease, which is caused by the deadly
Ebola virus, usually has an incubation period of 21 days before the
onset of symptoms.

PUNCH.