Perm Sec, Fed Min Of Health: Calabar Case “Not” Ebola

The ministry of health says there is no resurgence of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the country following reports of a likely outbreak of the disease in Calabar, capital of Cross River state. At a news conference in Abuja on Friday, Linus Awute, permanent secretary of the ministry, said the country remained Ebola-free.

Awute explained that the case of a suspect who died after exhibiting symptoms of the disease, caused panic at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, where he was receiving treatment.

He said‎ the suspected case was admitted to the hospital at 1am on Wednesday and died seven hours later, forcing the medical workers who attended to him to quarantine themselves.

TheCable report continues:

The health official said the blood samples of the deceased were‎ immediately taken to Edo state for analysis.

“After the tests, it is very clear it has nothing to do with Ebola or Lassa fever,” he said.

“Results confirmed that the deceased was negative of Ebola virus and Lassa fever.

“The ministry of health states that Nigeria remains Ebola free.”

Awute said the nature of the disease was yet to be determined, revealing that those who attended to the victim would remain under observation until the disease is identified.

Thursday’s incident happened at a time when the World Health Organization (WHO) announced significant progress in the fight to stamp out EVD.

Margaret Harris, WHO Press officer, said for the first time since 2014, no new case of the virus had been recorded this week.

Nigerian Govt. Denies Reports Of Fresh Ebola Outbreak

Contrary to claims of an Ebola outbreak in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria is still a World Health Organization-certified Ebola free country‎, the Federal Ministry of Health has said. Linus Awute, the permanent secretary of the ministry, said there was no basis for rumours of yet another outbreak of the virus.

“We are also going to organize a press conference today. You know the news and rumours of Ebola in Calabar…,” Mr. Awute told PREMIUM TIMES over the phone on Friday.

“As usual, we decided to go ahead of the rumour, even though we can authoritatively say there’s no Ebola in Nigeria but this is a scientific thing, and you don’t just wake up and say that.”

An unnamed man died on Wednesday at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, after showing Ebola-like symptoms, according to officials of the hospital.

‎Already, 15 people – one doctor, nine nurses, four health workers, and one patient – have been quarantined at the hospital.

‎‎Mr. Awute said the press conference, which he said would calm public fear and anxiety, would be held after all necessary procedures had been undertaken.

“You have to be different from the public,” he said.

“So we have to take the scientific approach to such rumour, going on locus to Calabar and all that, taking samples, observing the required public health protocols and then going to our reference laboratories.”

The Cross River Government had earlier dismissed the report, saying it was awaiting results of blood samples of the patient who died at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital.

Sunday Omini, Director of Public Health in the state Ministry of Health, said this on Thursday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Calabar.

“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.
Meanwhile, the management of 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.