Another nurse tests positive to Ebola – Minister. Another Lagos based nurse has tested positive to the Ebola virus disease (EVD), Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu, disclosed on Monday. The development is coming 22 days after the first case of the virus was recorded in Nigeria. The minister, at a news briefing in Abuja, explained that the newly married nurse was among those that had direct contact with the late Liberian, Patrick Sawyer, who imported the disease to Nigeria. Sawyer, who arrived Lagos from Monrovia on July 20, died in a Lagos hospital few days later having tested positive to Ebola virus. Chukwu said the husband of the latest nurse is among the 177 people who have now been placed under surveillance in respect of the disease. One Nigerian nurse had earlier died of the Ebola disease having had contact with the late Liberian. And to demonstrate the seriousness of the EVD, President Goodluck Jonathan has convened a meeting with state Governors for tomorrow to rub minds on federal/state collaboration on efforts to contain the outbreak. He disclosed this on Monday in Abuja while responding to an appeal for help by a group of children performers during a conference on Inter-faith interaction among Nigerians. So far, the minister said, nine people have developed EVD, bringing the total number of cases in Nigeria to 10. According to him, two people, including the Liberian and the nurse who first tested positive to the virus, are dead while eight are alive and currently on treatment. He also said all those who had primary contact with the late Sawyer have been contacted and placed on either surveillance or quarantined. The minister also said the infection of the virus has so far been restricted to Lagos, as it had not spread to other parts of the country. “At the sub regional level, the EVD was discussed as a substantive agenda during the Summit of the Authority of Heads of State and Government on July 9, 2014 in Accra Ghana. “Nigeria played, as usual, its leading, pioneering and compassionate role during the summit with the first and only donation of $3.5 million humanitarian and capacity building aid to the three affected countries of Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, the West African Health Organisation (WAHO), and the ECOWAS Ebola Fund,” the minister said. He noted that the “Liberian government has since expressed its deepest sympathies and regrets that Mr. Sawyer had even embarked on what they described as tragic journey , which has brought needless sufferings, death and has placed an unnecessary stress on Nigeria’s health system”. Chukwu assured that the Federal Government would continue to discharge its responsibilities within the sub region to collectively confront and stop the Ebola scourge. Chukwu also told newsmen that the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) might soon suspend its more than one month old strike. The minister said government has consistently appealed to the association to suspend the strike, expressing hope that the NMA may suspend the strike this week. “We are still discussing with the NMA, we are still pleading with the association to ask its members to return to work, while we are still doing what we need to do. “We have not gone to bed, we are not sleeping. “There are doctors who are not part of the strike and they have been taking part in the management of these Ebola patients, we are still recruiting more volunteers because we need more people to come into the fight against Ebola. “Not only doctors, because it includes health workers, nurses, environmental officers, sanitary officers, laboratory scientists, pharmacists and the likes,” Chukwu reiterated. On his part, the President .said it was unfortunate that “one mad man” – referring to the Liberian, Patrick Sawyer – brought the Ebola virus into Nigeria, but assured that government would do its best to contain the scourge. He also implored Nigerians to be cautious at funerals and to desist from some burial rites that could help spread the disease, insisting that for now, “the dead should bury the dead”. “As a government we promise we will do everything possible to contain Ebola. We are doing our best. “On Wednesday I am going to meet with all the Governors of the states. They will come with their Commissioners of Health, and we must make sure that every state is prepared. “Where they lack Federal Government will support the state to make sure that they have what it takes to contain Ebola virus. “It is unfortunate that one mad man brought the Ebola to us, but we have to contain it. “But this is a good forum that we will use to also plead with our religious leaders because people listen to you more than they listen to politicians. So in our various preaching in the mosques and churches we should communicate clearly. “I have been having discussions with people outside and within the country since this incident happened. “My conversation with the Director General of the World Health Organisation, Mrs Marget Chan, was quite instructive. “She said that the spread of Ebola from analysis so far, 60 per cent of spread is during burials. You will recall that in our announcement we pleaded that we must be mindful of burials. “We are pleading that our people who believe in some kind of ceremonies and so on, this is not the best period for those ceremonies. “If somebody dies now that person should be buried where he died, when we get over this you can exhume the body; if you want, government will provide the medical examiner that will help you exhume the body for you to go and bury the way you want,” Jonathan said. He noted that the late Sawyer who brought Ebola to Nigeria also contracted it “because his sister died of Ebola and he went for the burial and he participated in a way that he became a suspect”. “And the country (Liberia) asked him not to leave the country so that he will be observed but the crazy man decided to smuggled himself out and now we are suffering because of it.” The President urged religious leaders to limit worship rites that involve body contacts or sharing of foods and drinks until the disease is effectively contained. He also warned Nigerians against excessive intake of salt, as rumours on social media had claimed bathing with or drinking salty water could prevent infection with the virus. Meanwhile, Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, said on Monday that five Nigerians out of the 10 persons down with the EVD currently in isolation in Lagos are responding to treatment and in stable condition. The Governor, who disclosed this at an interactive meeting with traditional rulers and religious leaders on the Ebola outbreak, said eight people have tested positive while the results of two were still being awaited. According to him, the disease is not a death sentence provided the right things are done, explaining that experiences have shown that the human body could fight back through constant hydration, intravenous infusion and regular administration of antibiotics. “The idea of cure is not there. The idea of bitter kola is unverified. Bathing with salt is also unverified. “As at today, we have recorded two death cases: the Liberian and the nurse. We now have 10 persons in isolation that are receiving treatment. Eight of them have been confirmed positive to Ebola Virus Disease. “We are still waiting for the result of the remaining two persons. All of them are stable, which means that they are not deteriorating. “Five of them have really improved. This means they are fighting back. It confirms that Ebola is not automatic death sentence if we do the right thing at the right time. We should talk to our people. “Ebola Virus Disease is not something to be ashamed of. This is a disease, and it is a disease we can fully recover from if the right thing is done. “High temperature is the first sign of the disease. “It is not every person that has high temperature that is infected with the virus. High temperature can be as a result of malaria or typhoid fever. “If we have nine persons and one escapes, we are still at risk until we find the tenth one. So, there is no 99 per cent in the case of Ebola. “Everyone who has contact with the virus must be contained and checked. “Some may be slightly ill. Some may be moderately ill. Some may be seriously ill. We have to deal with them according their state of health,” Fashola said. Also on Monday there was pandemonium at the General Hospital, Orile-Agege, Lagos, when a middle aged female patient was suspected with the EVD, sending other patients and health workers to take to their heels. Daily Independent gathered that the patient who was assisted to the hospital by her husband had earlier presented herself at the casualty ward on Saturday with symptoms of high fever and diarrhea and was attended to by health officials on duty. According to one of the nurses who pleaded anonymity, “We were surprised to see her again this morning (Monday) at the Casualty with weakness of the body, serious diarrhea and bleeding inclusive; immediately our staff at the Casualty saw her condition they alerted the Medical Director (MD), Dr Iyabo Tijani and other medical officers on duty. “We were told to immediately kit up with the PPE before attending to her and we all did, including the Medical Director,” the source said. The source added that immediately some other patients saw the kitted health workers moved towards the patient at the casualty ward, they ran away from the scene. “The rumour kept flying that there was an Ebola patient in the hospital,” she said. It was learnt that efforts made to reach the Ebola alert call numbers were futile, as the numbers kept ringing with no quick response. “Eventually, the hospital was able to reach a senior official of the ministry of health who asked some specific questions on the situation of the patient. “The ministry official was the one who calmed the nerves of the agitated health workers when he told the Medical Director that the presentation by the woman was not sufficient to indicate an Ebola virus infection and then requested that a laboratory staff be invited to take her blood sample to be sent to the Testing Laboratory at Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH). “The lady was then treated and asked to go home and come back when the result would be out,” the source added. When the MD of the hospital was called to confirm the veracity of the story, she said: “I am not obliged to respond to your enquiry, kindly get to the ministry for that”. A similar case of pandemonium was reported from Udo community in the Ovia South West Local Government area of Edo State following the death of a middle aged man suspected to have died of EVD last Sunday. But some people in the village claimed that the deceased was an epileptic patient who died after an attack and not an Ebola victim. However, officials of the Edo State Ministry of Health were said to have mobilised to the community which is about one hour drive from Benin City, to collect the blood sample of the deceased with a view to ascertain the actual cause of death. The pandemonium reportedly broke out when some villagers observed blood in some parts of the body of the deceased as well as foam from his mouth. This was said to have brought fear to the entire community who suspected that he could be suffering from the Ebola virus disease. When contacted, Edo State Commissioner for Health, Aihanuwa Eregie, was not available, but an official of the ministry who pleaded anonymity said they were alerted of the matter “so we immediately sent our officials to rush to the community to get the blood sample of the man who they said was already dead. “Though we heard he was an epileptic patient but we justwant to be sure about the cause of death. His corpse has been isolated and we can only talk more when the result of the test is out. “You remember that the state government had earlier come out to say we don’t have Ebola case in Edo; so if eventually we receive report of any case we will definitely tell the world because it is a serious matter.” the source stated. Also, Rivers State Government has disassociated itself from rumours that salt and hot water prevent people from contracting the EVD. A statement by Director of Public Health in the state Ministry of Health, Nnanna Onyekwere, said Rivers people should disregard the rumour as it defies common sense. On his part, former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, commended the President for the quick response to the Ebola issue. Obi spoke to newsmen on Monday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja, shortly after he was screened, among other travellers into Abuja, for signs of the Ebora virus.
Posted on: Tue, 12 Aug 2014 07:31:16 +0000