Ebola trouble lands in Abuja, suspect under probe

Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) said on Monday that it was expecting a result of test conducted on a man who was suspected to have died of Ebola Virus Disease, EVD in Asokoro General Hospital in Abuja.

Badaru Salisu Yakasai, Head, Public Relations Unit of the Health and Human Services Secretariat(HHSS) of the FCTA said in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday that the suspected Ebola patient died at the weekend before the result of the test could be released.

The statement read: “The Family Medicine unit of Asokoro District hospital suspected Ebola disease in a patient on admission at the Accident and Emergency unit on the 28th of August 2014 and immediately isolated the patient.
“Strict infection control measures were immediately instituted. Blood sample was then taken to the designated FCT Ebola testing laboratory which happens to be within the Hospital premises. The epidemiology unit of Public Health Department of the Health and Human Services Secretariat was notified and their response was immediate. The result of the Ebola testing was being expected from the Laboratory four days later, on Monday the 1st of September 2014.

“Unfortunately, the patient died the next day, Friday 29th August 2014.”

Yakasai added that a number of medical staff of the hospital who had contact with the patient have been placed under surveillance.

He also added that the case had served as a drill case to test the preparedness of the hospital to manage and contain Ebola disease.

“Clinical assessment of the patient did not reveal any history of contact or travel, however in view of the high index of suspicion, isolation and strict infection control measures were continued and the unit was condoned off.

“The accident and emergency unit was temporarily relocated to the General outpatient unit (GOPD). A list of all Medical staff that had come into contact with the patient has been compiled and they are all under surveillance,” it explained.

The statement further advised the general public not to panic as the case of Ebola has not been confirmed at the Hospital and the measures that have been put in place are only precautionary in the interest of public safety.

Earlier on Monday, at the 2nd Emergency National Council on Health Meeting on the Ebola Virus Disease Outbreak in Nigeria held in Abuja, the Minister of Health; Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu debunked the claims of the presence of the virus in the Federal Capital Territory as rumored at the weekend.

“The case of the Abuja hotel has been investigated and proven that it was not a case of the EVD,” he said, adding that the said person was not a Liberian but a Nigerian working with the USAID