Home EDUCATION Ebola Return? 10 persons quarantined in Calabar

Ebola Return? 10 persons quarantined in Calabar

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Yesterday (Thursday), ten persons were quarantined after coming into contact with a patient with Ebola-like symptoms in the southern Nigerian city of Calabar. This is coming a year after the country was declared free of the deadly disease.
A staff of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital said patient came in on Wednesday with symptoms consistent with the viral hemorrhagic fever.
Although, local media reported the patient had since died, there is no official confirmation.
“We have sent blood samples for testing and quarantined identified contacts,” the hospital’s chief medical director, Queeneth Kalu, said. Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency said 10 people were in quarantine.
The Cross River Government says it is awaiting results of blood samples of the dead patient.
Dr Sunday Omini, who is the Director of Public Health said:
“We are aware of the situation and we have got preliminary reports from the hospital, and we are all awaiting the result of the blood samples.
“But judging from the information I have received so far, I am 90 per cent sure that it is not Ebola.
“However, we are on top of the situation, there is no cause for alarm,’’ he said.
The UCTH said it had informed all relevant agencies about the development, including the National Centre for Disease Control, Federal Ministry of Health and Cross River government.
Dr Queenet Kalu, Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee (CMAG), on behalf of the Medical Director of the hospital said the public would be informed adequately as soon as results of the blood samples were released.
The Ebola virus was first brought to Nigeria in July last year when travelling Liberian businessman Patrick Sawyer collapsed in Lagos airport. But the country was declared Ebola free in October last year.

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