Ebola - Nigeria declares state of emergency related to Ebola outbreak - ECOWAS is coordinating Ebola measures and US is helping Nigerias Jonathan declares state of emergency over Ebola ABUJA, Aug 8 (Reuters) - Nigerias President Goodluck Jonathan declared a national state of emergency on Friday over the Ebola outbreak in Africas most populous country, and approved 1.9 billion naira ($11.7 million) of emergency funds to contain it. Nigeria has confirmed seven cases of Ebola in its commercial capital Lagos since a man fell sick on arrival from Liberia, two of whom have died. Several dozen people who came into contact with the man are under surveillance. Jonathans spokesman Reuben Abati said the money would pay to strengthen steps to contain the virus such as ... additional isolation centres, case management, contact tracing, deployment of additional personnel, screening at borders, and the procurement of required items and facilities. The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday that West Africas Ebola epidemic constituted an international health emergency and the virus, which has killed nearly 1,000 people, could continue spreading for months. The prospect of Ebola in Lagos, Africas biggest city with 21 million people, has ratcheted up alarm about its spread. Jonathan warned against spreading false information about Ebola which can lead to mass hysteria, panic and misdirection, including unverified suggestions about the prevention, treatment, cure and spread of the virus. He also urged religious leaders to avoid holding large gatherings that might spread the virus, a reference to the many megachurches that can draw tens of thousands of faithful from around the West Africa region to their services. He asked schools to extend their summer holidays and urged that the movement of corpses from one community to the other, and from overseas into the country should be stopped forthwith. All deaths from sickness should be reported to the authorities, he added. The state of emergency is expected to stay in place until the outbreak is contained. (REUTERS) .............. Nigeria confirms two more Ebola cases, nine in total LAGOS, August 8, 2014 (AFP) - Nigeria on Friday confirmed two new cases of Ebola, bringing the total number of infections in Africas most populous country to nine, including two deaths. We have an additional two confirmed cases. So the total now, we have nine confirmed cases (including two deaths). The same two we told you about: the index case and the health worker, Health Minister Onyebuchi Chukwu told journalists. President Goodluck Jonathan earlier Friday declared a national emergency over the deadly virus. Nigeria currently has six suspected cases that are under investigation and a total of 139 people have been placed under surveillance, the minister said during a visit to Lagos, Nigerias commercial capital of more than 20 million people. As we talk, we do have six suspected cases currently under investigation...Now altogether, all those we have placed under surveillance stand at 139, he added. An American-Liberian, who flew into the country from Monrovia, and a Nigerian nurse are the two people who have died of Ebola virus in Lagos in the last two weeks. The minister said that the government had approved life insurance policy for all those taking care of Ebola virus patients and involved in contact-tracing. The president earlier called on the population to avoid large gatherings in order to prevent the spread of the virus. Religious and political groups, spiritual healing centres, families, associations and other bodies should ... discourage gatherings and activities that may unwittingly promote close contact with infected persons or place others at risk, said a statement issued by the presidency. Jonathan also approved the immediate release of 1.9 billion naira ($11.6 million, 8.7 million euros) to fund measures against the spread of the virus. Measures to be taken include the setting up of additional isolation centres, screening at borders and contact-tracing. In addition, the president warned against any movement of corpses to other parts of the country as well as spreading false information about the virus. World Health Organisation chief Margaret Chan said in Geneva Friday that the epidemic in west Africa which has killed nearly 1,000 people in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria was the worst of its kind in four decades. (AFP) .................. US ramps up response to Ebola in Nigeria WASHINGTON, August 8, 2014 (AFP) - US health authorities said Friday they are sending extra personnel and resources to Nigeria, which has declared a national emergency as it battles a deadly outbreak of Ebola for the first time. We are starting to ramp up our staffing in Lagos, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention spokesman Tom Skinner told AFP. We are really concerned about Lagos and the potential for spread there, given the fact that Lagos -- and Nigeria for that matter -- has never seen Ebola. Nigeria became the fourth West African country involved in the largest Ebola outbreak in history when a dual US-Liberian citizen who was infected with Ebola traveled by plane to Lagos on July 20. He died five days later. Eight people who came in contact with him have been diagnosed with Ebola, and two have died. Ebola has killed 932 people in Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia and Nigeria since March, and has infected more than 1,700 according to the World Health Organization. Experts say Ebola is out of control in West Africa, and the WHO on Friday declared the epidemic an international health emergency and appealed for global aid. In Nigeria, President Goodluck Jonathan declared the control and containment of the Ebola virus a national emergency, his office said in a statement. He urged people to avoid large gatherings, and approved the release of $11.6 million to fund measures against the spread of the virus, including setting up isolation centers and increasing screening at borders. - With a fury - Skinner said CDC personnel are in all affected countries, and that several US personnel already on the ground in Nigeria. We helped the folks in Lagos set up an emergency operations center similar to what we do here that can help with organizing the countrys response to the outbreak, he said. Earlier this week, the CDC issued an all-hands alert that allows the agency to direct more funding and staff to the crisis. CDC chief Tom Frieden told lawmakers on Thursday that the agency already has 200 staff working on Ebola response, planned to increase that number substantially. At the same hearing before a House subcommittee, Ken Isaacs of the Christian aid group Samaritans Purse warned that the situation in Nigeria was likely to worsen. Our epidemiologists believe that what we are going to see is a spike in the disease in Nigeria, said Isaacs, vice president of programs and government relations. It will go quiet for about three weeks and when it comes out, it will come out with a fury. The incubation period of Ebola is 21 days, meaning it can take that long between initial exposure to the virus and the appearance of symptoms. People become contagious as soon as they begin exhibiting symptoms, which include fever, muscle aches, vomiting, diarrhea, and sometimes bleeding. Ebola first emerged in 1976, and there are no treatments or vaccines on the market. - Stronger every day - A pair of American missionaries who fell ill with Ebola while treating patients in Liberia were given an experimental serum. Their health has improved, though experts say it is unclear if the medication is the reason. Kent Brantly, 33, and Nancy Writebol, 60, were flown out of Liberia and are now being treated at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. I am growing stronger every day, and I thank God for his mercy as I have wrestled with this terrible disease, Brantly wrote from his isolation unit Friday. I held the hands of countless individuals as this terrible disease took their lives away from them. I witnessed the horror firsthand, and I can still remember every face and name. (AFP)
Posted on: Mon, 11 Aug 2014 14:31:48 +0000
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