Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has placed the country on a red alert following the confirmation of an Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in Uganda.
Truth Live News Media reports that the first case of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Nigeria was on July 20, 2014.
The patient was a Liberian-American man named Patrick Sawyer who arrived in Lagos from Liberia.
Sawyer became ill at the airport and died five days later.
On January 30, the Ministry of Health in Uganda confirmed an outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) caused by the Sudan specie, Wakiso, Mukono and Mbale City in Mbale district.
So far, only one case has been reported, and one death (confirmed by post-mortem). Meanwhile, 44 contacts are being followed up.
NCDC Director General, Dr. Jide Idris, in a statement, yesterday, said NCDC has activated its systems, and was monitoring the regional and global situations, noting that Uganda has experience in responding to Ebola Disease outbreaks, and that necessary actions have been initiated in that regard.
He confirmed that there were vaccines and therapeutics available for some strains of the virus, and that the approved vaccine for the Zaire species (EBV) is not available in Nigeria yet, but can be obtained from the WHO Afro, and does not protect against the Sudan virus.
Idris insisted that early recognition, isolation of patients, initiation of supportive treatment, implementing infection and control measures in health facilities and homes, tracing and monitoring of contacts, and safe burial practices, significantly reduce morbidity and the probability of death.
Healthcare workers were asked to maintain a high index of suspicion for EVD in their encounter with patients, and in the management of a suspected or confirmed case of EVD, such healthcare workers should ensure strict isolation of the patient.
The NCDC boss, however, asked individuals with recent travel history to or transit through countries with Ebola cases in the last 21 days who experience symptoms such as fever, muscle pain, sore throat, diarrhoea, weakness, vomiting, stomach pain, or unexplained bleeding or bruising to promptly call NCDC or State Ministry of Health hotlines for assessment and testing.