Ebola: 2 People Who Had Contact With Dead Victim Have Fever – Lagos Gov’t

The Lagos State Government on Friday,
August 1, 2014 said two persons out of
those who had contacts with Mr Patrick
Sawyer, the dead Liberian Ebola victim
had manifested symptoms of fever.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide
Idris, made the disclosure when he
addressed newsmen on the update of
the country`s first Ebola case in Ikeja.
Idris said the two persons were among
the 70 contacts being monitored and
investigated for any symptoms of the
disease by the state government and
other partners.
The commissioner, who said the two
cases were under observation, however
stressed that they did not test positive to
the virus.
Idris said the state government would
continue to monitor all contacts with the
victims until the end of the 21 incubation
day period of the virus.
"Our Rapid Response Team is currently
tracking all contacts of persons exposed
to the dead passenger with Ebola virus.
"The contract tracing team is following
70 contacts of the EVD case and linking
them to clinical support when needed.
"Two suspect cases had fever, they are
under observation and so far have
tested negative to the virus.
"The monitoring of suspect cases will
continue until the end of them period of
21 days from their exposure to the
victim,'' he said.
The commissioner said an emergency
operation centre had been activated in
Lagos ,by the state and its partners as
part of efforts to check the threat of the
virus.
He added that the Federal Government
had stepped up measures to screen
incoming passengers to Nigeria to
identify any traveler with symptoms
through, airport, seaport and border
crossing.
Idris said a deceased body was recently
brought to Nigeria from Liberia,
explaining that the government was
investigating if he died from Ebola.
The commissioner urged residents to
collaborate with government in checking
the Ebola threat in the country by
reporting suspected case for
government`s intervention.
While saying diseases thrived well in
dirty environments ,Idris urged residents
to maintain clean body and
environment to reduce the risk of the
virus.
Also speaking. Prof. Abdul Salim Nasidi
of the National Disease Control Centre
said noted that though disease had no
cure ,it was treatable.
He warned members of the public
against emphasizing that the virus had
not cure,saying it might discourage
those with suspected cases from
accessing treatment.
While saying the Federal Government
was doing everything to check the
threat of the disease,Nasidi urged
citizens not to panic as no fresh case
had been discovered yet in the country.
Sent from my BlackBerry wireless device from MTN