Ebola claims 5 lives in one mont, Says Dr. Gwarzo

Ebola claims 5 lives in one mont, Says Dr. Gwarzo
By Abdallah el-Kurebe

The dreaded Ebola virus disease (EVD) has claimed five lives between July 20 and August 21 2014, Director of Port Health at the Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Nasiru Gwarzo has confirmed.

He stated this in Sokoto on Saturday at a one-day public lecture on the EVD, with a theme: “Ebola Virus Disease: The Facts,” organized by the State Ministry of Health in conjunction with Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH), Sokoto.

Gwarzo explained that the deaths, recorded from the twelve confirmed cases of the disease, included the Liberian who in Nigeria as a result of the disease.

While stating that two persons were currently on admission due to the disease, Gwarzo added that 70 infected persons had been treated and discharged.

“This was done after intensive monitoring and 21 days of follow up,” he said adding, “About 161 contacts are also being followed up but they are not likely to be infected.”

He stressed that the Federal government had taken adequate measures at the nation’s entry points to prevent infected persons from entering into the country.

The Sokoto state Health Commissioner, Ahmad Aliyu disclosed that the state government had purchased N50 million worth of protective kits for its health personnel as well as set up an Ebola task team and various testing and isolation centres.

The Medical Director of UDUTH Sokoto, Dr. Yakubu Ahmed said that EVD required collective efforts by all Nigerians. “The emphasis here should be on prevention and all hands should be on the deck in this direction,” he added.

Prof. Abdulkadir Junaidu of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto (UDUS), said that there were over 500 Zoonotic diseases which could be transmitted from animal to human beings.

“Ebola Virus Disease started in the world since 1976 in Sudan and the time for action is now,” he advised.

Posted by el-Kurebe.