The Ogun Government says it has heightened surveillance following the Federal Government’s announcement of an Ebola case in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Dr Tomi Coker, the state’s Commissioner for Health, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday in Abeokuta.
Coker assured residents that no case had been recorded in the state as of Wednesday.
The commissioner urged residents to remain vigilant, observe preventive measures and avoid panic or the spread of unverified information.
She noted that Ogun had been on heightened alert since the declaration of an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in March.
According to her, 111 persons of interest, comprising passengers from high-risk countries, had been identified and monitored before being discharged from follow-up after completing the required surveillance period.
Coker said the state’s Public Health Emergency Operations Centre was coordinating preparedness and response activities to ensure the prompt identification, reporting and management of suspected cases.
She added that the government had strengthened the capacity of Disease Surveillance and Notification Officers, port health officers, health educators, clinicians and community informants through training on appropriate response procedures.
The commissioner said relevant national guidelines, protocols and resource materials had been adapted and deployed to guide the state’s response.
“Public sensitisation and infection prevention and control measures in healthcare facilities are being intensified.
“Residents are advised to remain calm and obtain information from official public health authorities.
“Ebola is a serious disease that can cause severe illness and death. Its early symptoms may resemble those of other common illnesses.
“The symptoms include fever, severe weakness, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain. Unexplained bleeding or bruising may also occur in some cases,” she said.
She advised residents to wash their hands regularly with soap and running water and use alcohol-based hand sanitisers when soap and water are unavailable.
The commissioner called on residents to cooperate with surveillance and follow-up teams, provide accurate information when contacted by public health officials and comply with the guidance issued.
She said the Ogun Government would continue to work with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) to monitor developments and implement appropriate measures.
Coker also urged healthcare workers in public and private facilities to maintain a high index of suspicion, promptly identify and isolate suspected cases, and observe strict infection prevention and control protocols.
She provided the contact number of the state epidemiologist as 08084250881 and the NCDC toll-free line as 6232 for reporting suspected cases and obtaining public health guidance.
Coker emphasised that early detection, timely reporting and cooperation among residents, healthcare workers and public health authorities were essential to preventing the spread of the disease.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, said in a statement on Tuesday that the woman who tested positive for Ebola was in isolation and receiving medical care.
Pate said the ministry, the NCDC and the FCT Health Services Secretariat were working with other relevant authorities to contain the infection and prevent further spread.
He said public health teams had begun tracing the 44 identified contacts and were working to identify and monitor others who might have been exposed, including healthcare workers, patients, caregivers and travel contacts.
Surveillance had also been intensified, he said, while the hospital where the patient was treated was receiving immediate support to strengthen infection prevention and control measures.
The Federal Government urged public and private healthcare facilities across the country to remain on high alert.
It also directed healthcare workers to maintain a high index of suspicion, promptly identify and isolate suspected cases, observe strict infection prevention and control protocols, and immediately report suspected infections to public health authorities.
