Federal Health Ministry says all those who came in contact with the man have been quarantined.
“Despite the urgent specialised barrier
nursing care provided for the patient in a Lagos Hospital, the patient
unfortunately passed away in the early hours of July 25, 2014,” Mr.
Chukwu said.
———————————
A Liberian man admitted to a hospital in Lagos on Tuesday after exhibiting Ebola-like symptoms has died.
The man identified as Patrick Sawyer,
arrived Lagos last Sunday from Liberia and died on Thursday night at the
First Consultant Medical Centre, Obalende, Lagos, said state officials.
However, during a press briefing in Abuja
on Friday, the Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu, said the patient
died on Friday morning.
Mr Sawyer, an employee of the Liberian Ministry of Finance, came to Lagos to attend a conference.
Mr. Chukwu said the Federal Ministry of
Health was alerted on a suspected case of the disease involving a
40-year old male travelling from Monrovia, Liberia to Nigeria on Asky
Airline via Lome to Lagos on Tuesday.
He said the passenger had fever and other
symptoms of the disease at the airport was quickly isolated by Port
Health Division officials and transported to the hospital.
He said the patient was subjected to
thorough medical and laboratory evaluation which confirmed the diagnosis
of the disease. Mr. Sawyer was said to be in a stable condition earlier
on Thursday and plans were being made to return him to Liberia but his
condition worsened in the evening.
The result of tests conducted on Mr. Sawyer was still being awaited before he died.
The minister however reassured the public that the Ministry of Health
was presently working with other ministries, agencies and international
organizations to prevent the disease spread.
He said that all passengers that the
patient came in contact with have been traced and are also being
investigated medically. Lagos State health officials said the hospital
where the man died has been cordoned off and about thirty people
believed to have had contact with him quarantined.
Mr. Chukwu said, in line with global best
practices, all ports entry in Nigeria including airports, seaports and
land boarders have been placed on red alert as staff of the ministry of
health are already positioned in the locations and surveillance beefed
up.
He also said that tertiary health
institutions in Nigeria have been equipped to handle any emergency that
may arise from the disease.
Also, drugs and medical consumables are
pre-positioned while the health ministry is working with all the states
across Nigeria to contain the situation.
However, the minister admonished Nigerians
to be vigilant, ensure personal and environmental hygiene and also
report any suspected case to the nearest health facility.
He also said that emergency operation
centre have been established and coordinated by the Nigerian Centre for
Disease Control, NCDC, advising Nigerians to call 08023210923,
08097979595 and 07067352220; or email ebolainfo@health.gov.ng for
inquiries.
The epicentre of Ebola is Guinea, Liberia
and Sierra Leone where more than 900 people have been infected so far
with the deadly virus with 630 deaths. There is no drug or vaccine to
treat the virus and it has up to 90 per cent fatality rate.
Ebola is transmitted from fruit bats and
apes to humans who hunt them for food and is further spread to other
humans when they come in contact with the blood or body fluid of an
infected person.
Symptoms include, fever, headache, chills,
diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, sore throat, backache, and joint pains.
Later symptoms include bleeding from the eyes, ears and nose, bleeding
from the mouth and rectum, eye swelling, swelling of the genitals and
bloody rashes all over the body.
Lagos State government issued an alert last
week advising people to observe high hygienic standard including
washing of hand and thoroughly washing and cooking their meat before
eating.
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