The Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, on Wednesday confirmed the release of the 8th Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) survivor in Nigeria, adding that 18 cases have been recorded so far.
The Minister, briefing journalists after the Federal Executive Council meeting, said, “The total number of confirmed cases of Ebola Virus Disease in Nigeria is now 18.
“The 18th confirmed case is the sister of the late Port Harcourt doctor,” he said, adding that “the total number of cases successfully managed and discharged is now eight.”
Prof Chukwu also stated that the last case to be discharged, the first secondary contact to be diagnosed and a spouse of a primary contact of the index case, went home from the isolation ward in Lagos on Tuesday, confirming the 9th survivor as “the ECOWAS Commission official who jumped surveillance in Lagos and travelled to Port Harcourt”.
The Minister also confirmed that the total number of deaths from Ebola Virus Disease in Nigeria was seven.
“One, the index case, occurred in a private hospital in Lagos, four in the Lagos isolation ward, one in the Port Harcourt isolation ward (the female patient who was on admission in the same hospital where the late Port Harcourt doctor was also admitted), while another one (1) was the doctor who was infected by the ECOWAS Commission official in Port Harcourt and who did not come under the care and management of the Incident Management Committee”, he said.
He added that two EVD patients were currently under treatment in the Lagos and Port Harcourt isolation wards.
“Total number of contacts currently under surveillance in Lagos is 41, while Port Harcourt has 255.
“Total number of contacts discharged in Lagos after they were observed for 21 days is 320”, he said.
The Minister also debunked rumours of EVD cases outside Lagos and Port Harcourt and debunked rumours that the body of the late Port Harcourt doctor was transported to Edo or Delta State, insisting that the body has been decontaminated and would be interred in Port Harcourt.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has partnered with the Rivers State Government to contain the spread of EVD in the state.
In a briefing with journalists at the Rivers State Ministry of Health in Port Harcourt, the WHO Country Representative, Mr Rui Vaz, said that WHO was bringing to bear in the fight against the disease, the expert training, assistance and logistical support to achieve containment and to ensure control in the Port Harcourt entry into the state.
