in Lagos and Port Harcourt over the last seven days following the
discharge of the last patient from the Lagos isolation centre last
week.
As at yesterday evening, the number of contacts under surveillance in
Port Harcourt had dropped from over 500 to less than 400, while in
Lagos, the number dropped below 16, even as contacts gradually exit 21
days of observation. The country has not reported any new case of EVD.
Nigeria current EVD status as at 15 September, 2014 - 19 confirmed
cases, seven dead, 12 survivors.
Confirming this position weekend, the Minister of Health, Professor
Onybuchi Chukwu said although there have been several rumours about
suspected Ebola cases in Nigeria, all the rumoured and suspected cases
have been investigated and proven negative.
According to the Minister, at present, there is no single current case
of confirmed EVD in Nigeria.
Further investigations by Vanguard showed that in the last two weeks,
Nigeria has not reported any new case and the total number of
confirmed Ebola cases in Nigeria remains 19 - 15 in Lagos and four in
Port Harcourt.
Presently, only 16 people are under surveillance in Lagos and 490 in
Port Harcourt.
Chukwu also explained that the total number of death stands at seven.
Responding to the successes recorded so far, he said although there is
no active Ebola case in the country, government cannot roll out the
drums to celebrate.
"We cannot celebrate for the simple reason that, though we know we
have won the battle but not yet the war. We are happy for now. There
is nobody with active Ebola virus disease in Nigeria but that is not
to say we should be surprised if we had one tomorrow.
"I would not be surprised because right now we still have a number of
people on surveillance. We are keeping them on surveillance because
there is the possibility that any of them could develop the disease.
The reason they are under surveillance is that there is a chance, no
matter how slim they may develop the infection," he added.
Ebola virus was imported into Nigeria via an infected air traveller,
an American- Liberian, Patrick Sawyer who entered into Lagos on 20
July and died five days later. Sadly, a close contact of the Lagos
case, an ECOWAS staff, fled Lagos, where he was under quarantine, to
seek treatment in Port Harcourt.
WHO expresses concern over high risk exposure in PH
Meanwhile, the World Health organisation, WHO, in its situation
assessment expressed concern over multiple high-risk exposure
opportunities, following the outbreak of EVD in Port Harcourt, adding
that the outbreak has the potential to grow larger and spread faster
than the one in Lagos.
WHO disclosed that Nigerian health workers and WHO epidemiologists are
monitoring more than 200 contacts. Of these, around 60 are considered
to have had high-risk or very high-risk exposure.
According to WHO, the highest-risk exposures occurred in family
members and in health care workers and patients at the facility where
the index (first) case was hospitalised. Church members who visited
the index case while he was hospitalised are also considered at high
risk.
"WHO, together with the Rivers State Port Health Service, has assessed
public health measures at airport gates and other points of entry.
Screening is under way at domestic and international airport gates.
Social mobilisation efforts have been stepped up, initially targeting
key community and religious leaders," the assessment report revealed.
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