Barely a year after Nigeria was declared Ebola-free by the World Health Organsation (WHO), the virus appears to have made t’s way back into the country.
Ten persons have been quarantined at University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, UCTH, following the death of a patient with suspected symptoms of the virus in the hospital on Wednesday, October 7, 2015.
The quarantined persons are mainly nurses who attended to the deceased patient as well as those who came in contact with him before his death.
While addressing journalists in Calabar on Thursday, October 8, 2015, Chairman of Medical Advisory Committee of the hospital, Dr. Queeneth Kalu, revealed that blood samples have been sent to the Ebola Diagnosing Centre in Benin Edo State.
She said: “On Wednesday, 7th October, 2015, we managed a patient who presented with symptoms mimicking viral hemorrhage (Ebola Virus) and have decided to take the necessary measures.”
‘”The following have been informed: National Centre for Disease Control, Federal Ministry of Health, The Cross River State Government, Calabar Municipality, and the Department of State Security Services, DSS.”
Dr Kalu assured that the public would be kept abreast with the development as soon as they receive an analysis of the results from blood samples test.
Meanwhile, people are advised to employ maximum carefulness to avoid further spread of the dreaded disease which was introduced into Nigeria by a Liberian man, Patrick Sawyer.
